Silent Knight
by SNOzzie6
Summary: It's been two years since Rylee's Unova adventures. A lot has changed, especially herself. Now, as a Pokémon Knight, her mission will take her to the Kalos region, where old and new friends await her. While there, she'll become reacquainted with something she lost a long time ago: hope. Based off the Pokémon: XY seasons. I only own my OCs.
1. Long Suffering

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

 **Hello, everyone! It's been a long wait, but it's finally here!**

 **A few things before we get started:**

 **1) This story takes place after the events of my** **first Pokémon series, "A Valiant Voice." There will be references to this story, so I recommend you read it before diving into this one.  
**

 **2) This story will be contained in one fan fiction rather than breaking it up into separate arcs like I did with "A Valiant Voice."**

 **3) I'm not going to include every episode of the XY series; some episodes are purely filler and have little to no impact on the plot. I'm only writing about episodes that are important to the plot in whatever way, shape, or form I deem fit.**

 **Happy reading!**

* * *

The sky was gray and cloudy- the colors of loneliness. There was a run-down factory perched next to a hill. Leftover smoke from its glory days steadily streamed from the chimneys. A Minccino trotted along the side of the factory, curiously sniffing the walls. It arrived at a broken window, and it hoisted itself onto the sill and slipped into the building. A few moments later, it jumped out and ran away from the factory, heading up the hill. At the top of the hill, Minccino scurried up and sat on a shoulder.

Two people, one boy and one girl, crouched next to a small, dead tree, suspiciously eyeing the factory below. The boy had long, tea-green hair kept back in a low ponytail and gray-blue eyes. He wore a suit of silverish-white armor, covering his chest, arms, legs, and feet. Underneath his armor, he wore a golden locket with green engravings on it. He turned to the girl next to him, who kept her eyes fixed on the factory.

"Are they in there?" the girl said, slightly leaning her head towards the Minccino.

Minccino nodded. " _Yup. A whole lot of them._ "

"Perfect."

"Are you ready for this, Rylee?" the boy said.

The girl finally focused on the boy. Her brown hair was curled and almost reached the middle of her back. She flicked her side bangs away from her face, fully revealing her unique eyes: emerald green with a ring of purple around the pupils and flecks of purple dotted across the irises. She wore a silverish-white chestplate, like the boy, that covered her torso and arms, and black pants made of flexible material, similar to yoga pants. Her armored boots came up to her shins. The back of the boots were black, and the front and shoe part were silverish-white. A golden locket with purple engravings rested around her neck and was exposed, and a long sash made of metallic feathers cascaded down from her left hip to her ankle.

Rylee stared ahead with a blank expression. "When have I ever not been? I hope you're not starting to lose faith in me, N."

N rolled his eyes. "Just checking to make sure. Now, let's do this."

The two rose to their feet and Rylee thrust out her hands. Two smooth platforms made of Protect formed in front of her and N. They shared another look, nodded, and jumped onto the platforms. They zoomed down the hill silently, weaving around large rocks and dead tree stumps.

" _Couldn't we have used other methods of transportation?_ " Minccino cried as she clung to Rylee's Protect platform. " _You know,_ walking _like normal people?!_ "

"Who wants to be normal?" N chuckled, hopping over a large log.

Rylee took in a deep breath as the wind whipped her face. The cool air would've chilled her bones, but the adrenaline pumping through her acted as a fuzzy coat. As they reached the factory doors, they could see the large padlock at the center of the overlapping chains laid over them. N jumped off his platform, switching into a run, and Rylee extended her hand towards it. The platform flew to her. The Protect carrying her bubbled. Minccino jumped away and landed on N's shoulder, wrapping her tail underneath his arm to prevent herself from falling off. Rylee leaped from her platform as both hers and N's morphed together into a sword. With a grunt, Rylee swung the sword into the door. The padlock and chains snapped, and the doors exploded. The old wood blew into pieces from the impact and its many years, and debris flew everywhere. N and Rylee ran into the building. A group of men and women were hunched over a table, and they all looked up and glared at the two. They all wore black clothing with ski masks scrunched on the tops of their heads.

"Intruders!" the man at the head of the table said. "Get them!"

They charged. Rylee shot her hands out, enveloping her and N in a dome of Protect. Those who were first in formation crashed right into the barrier. Rylee grunted and thrusted her arms down, and the Protect shoved those people back. Many fell to the ground, others knocked into their buddies. The man who ordered the attack widened his eyes.

Rylee heard a battle cry coming from her right. She turned to see a man lunge towards her with a crowbar. As he swung at her head, Rylee ducked and swept her legs under his, causing him to fall hard on his back and release his crowbar. Rylee caught the crowbar and chucked it at another who charged at her. The spiraling crowbar hit his hand and he dropped his weapon. As he shook his hand to ease the pain, Rylee shoved her foot into his back. He stumbled and slammed into a woman who crept up behind N. A man had N in a headlock, but N drove his elbow into the man's stomach. The man yelped an "OOF" and doubled over, giving N the perfect chance to smash his knee into the man's face. The man's head snapped back, and he crumpled to the ground with his nose already beginning to bruise and bleed.

A collection of cries sounded, and Rylee and N turned to see another swarm of black-shrouded people charge at them.

"Honedge!" N cried, raising his hand. "Iron Head!"

"Doublade!" Rylee cried, raising her hand.

Two PokéBalls opened simultaneously, and two Royal Sword Pokémon, Aegislash, appeared and retreated quickly to their owners. As they descended into their hands, they glowed blue, the sign of evolution, and when the light subsided, the Aegislash had regressed into Honedge and Doublade. N grabbed the handle of his Honedge. As its blade shined with the desired move, N slammed it into the ground, causing a tremor in the ground so great that many thugs lost their balance and fell to the ground. Rylee summoned small balls of Protect and swung each of Doublade's swords into them with rapid fire. The balls formed into cuffs on impact, and they wrapped around the wrists of the thugs.

"Keep attacking!" the same man ordered. Rylee quickly scanned the area, just in time to see him slip through a back door as another wave of his thugs advanced.

"N, keep them busy!" Rylee said. "Zoroark, it's your time to shine."

Minccino grinned mischievously as a group of thugs surrounded her. " _It's about time!_ " She glowed purple, and her silhouette grew. The color faded, revealing Zoroark's true form. She smirked at the sweat forming on the thugs' brows. She lifted her fist with a cry as dark power enveloped it, and she slammed it down. Night Daze burst from around her, and the thugs flew back. Zoroark turned to Rylee and shot her a thumbs up. Rylee returned the gesture and headed towards the door. She shoved her foot into it and it burst open, revealing a long hallway. At the end of the hallway, there was a faint light, and she saw the man disappear around the corner. Rylee sprinted down the hall and towards the light. She reached the end, which was another dimly lit room.

Rylee's ears perked when she heard a low grunt. She gasped and turned as a large fist hurtled towards her face. She swerved her head out of the way. A thug threw another punch, and Rylee took a quick step back. As the thug stumbled from the force of his attack, Rylee struck the back of his neck with the quick precision of her hand. His eyes rolled up into his head, and he slumped to the ground.

Something smacked against the small of Rylee's back, and she cried out as she fell to the ground. She rolled to her side as the boss of these group of thugs stood over her, smacking a lead pipe against his hand like a teacher getting ready to reprimand a student with a ruler.

"It's the end of the line for you." he said, and he slashed the lead pipe down.

Rylee rolled out of the way as the lead pipe hit the ground with a shrill clang. The man growled in frustration and brought the pipe back again.

"Aegislash!" Rylee cried. She formed a Heal Pulse in her hands and pressed it against her chest.

Doublade flew towards Rylee as it glowed light blue, evolving into Aegislash. As the man slashed the pipe down, Aegislash jumped in the way, blocking the attack with its shield. The man grunted in confusion, and Aegislash pushed him back. The man lost his balance and fell to the ground. Rylee climbed to her feet and wielded herself with her partner. The man glared at Rylee.

"What was that again?" Rylee said, a dark glower on her face. "You obviously don't know who I am."

"Oh, but I do." the man said. "You and your little friend. Menaces to society."

"Done talking to yourself? Good." Rylee's eyes glowed purple, and handcuffs made of Protect wrapped around the man's wrists and ankles. He thrashed around, trying to free himself. "Save your energy for pleading your 'alibi'."

"You think you're so powerful, huh?" the man said. "You're just a spoiled, little brat! You're lucky these cuffs are on me, or else I'd break your neck and feed you to the wild Pokémon!"

"Threat all you want. They can't penetrate a heart of stone."

"My threats are nothing compared to what Lysandre has in store for you. You better watch your back if you know what's good for you!"

They heard shouts coming from the hallway, and soon, half a dozen police officers filed into the room. They seized the man and carried him away as he continued spitting his curses at Rylee. Rylee released Aegislash, and it floated in front of her. A hand rested on her shoulder, and Rylee met her eyes with N and Zoroark.

"You all right?" N said.

"Of course. I've faced worse than this." she said, her back turned to N. "Mission accomplished. Let's head back."

N nodded, concern fresh in his eyes. Rylee ignored it and walked away.

* * *

Rylee walked through the front door of her home, N and Zoroark right behind her.

"Welcome home!" Delilah Runyon cried as she emerged from the kitchen. She smiled brightly. "How was your mission? Oh, what am I saying? You probably aced it!"

N chuckled and hugged Delilah. "Yes, Mom. It worked out well."

"Wonderful! Now you have one more mission to take care of for today." Delilah shoved a bottle of soap and a rag into N's hands. "Doing the dishes."

N sighed and disappeared into the kitchen. Delilah embraced Rylee tightly. When she pulled away, she placed her hands on her shoulders.

"You know, Rylee-" Delilah said.

"Work was fine." Rylee interrupted. "Being a Pokémon Knight definitely has its perks. Who needs anger management when you can bash around a few baddies?"

Delilah chuckled lightly. "Very well. Dinner's ready if you're hungry." she said, raising her voice to direct her words to both Rylee and N. "Make sure you report, too. You know how serious your father is with these things."

"You know you don't have to remind us." N said, poking his head from the kitchen as he dried a plate. "We've been doing this for two years. The schedule's engraved in our brains by now."

"Oh, all right. You can't blame me for motherly instincts." Delilah said. She gave Rylee's shoulders another encouraging squeeze and headed to the backyard. Rylee could see her mother's Pokémon, Leavanny, in the garden. She watched Delilah and Leavanny greet each other warmly and work together to tend to the plants. Rylee went into the kitchen and helped N clean the dishes.

"Mom made pasta." N said, setting two bowls aside.

"Thanks, but I'm not hungry. Maybe later." Rylee said, avoiding N's eyes.

N set the plate he was cleaning down and turned to Rylee. "Rylee... it's been two years... Maybe it's time you..."

"Time I do what?" Rylee faced N with a deep scowl, daring him to finish his sentence.

N looked a little surprised. "T-that's not what I meant..."

"Then what? What were you _really_ wanting to say?"

N looked away from his sister's threatening eyes. "Nothing."

Rylee's anger calmed, and she let out a sigh and grabbed a cup to dry.

"Dad probably thought that training would distract you..."

"He was wrong." Rylee took a deep breath and set the damp cup and rag on the kitchen counter. "The only thing worse than having a broken heart is trying to bury the pain of it."

N placed a hand on Rylee's shoulder. "You don't have to say anymore. It's okay."

"I'm going to go report." she mumbled.

She stepped out from N's touch and headed outside. She closed the front door and walked to the end of the pathway. She lifted her thumbs and index finger into her mouth and let out a long, shrill whistle. After resting her hand back to her side, a Swanna flew down from the sky and landed in front of her. Rylee stroked the Pokémon's feathers and climbed onto its back. Swanna tilted its head back, uttering a cry, and flapped its wings, taking them both into the sky. Rylee watched the forest below, listening to the steady beating of Swanna's wings and feeling the night air blow her hair back.

" _Something troubling you?_ " Swanna said.

Rylee chuckled bitterly and stared out into the horizon. "You already know."

Thanks to Swanna's speed, Rylee only had to deal with the uncomfortable silence for a few minutes. They had met with the ocean, and in the midst there was a small island, which was covered entirely with a large, skyscraping Headquarters that could probably be seen in space. Rylee hopped off of Swanna, giving her another stroke of gratitude before it flew towards the building. Rylee looked up at the building for a few moments before she took a deep breath and entered it. It seemed like noises from any section of the place carried to the rest of it. Conversations from both people and Pokémon carried into Rylee's ears. The entrance had large skylights lining the entire ceiling that absorbed the light of the stars. A large, white desk was at the end of the room, with a red-head secretary wearing a blue blazer, skirt, white button-up shirt, red heels, and black glasses typed away on a computer. She lifted her eyes and flashed Rylee a smile before returning to her work.

Rylee walked down the left-sided hallway, where she paused at a metal door. She pressed her hand against the center of the door and the contour of her hand shimmered. The door slid open, and Rylee started her walk down the stone hallway. The thump of her boots bounced around her, carrying down to the very end. She followed the sound of grunts and entered the largest room in the building: the training room. Dummies were placed every ten feet in the first section, and each was occupied with a young man or woman. Rylee continued walking down the center of the room, past the next section, which was filled with virtual reality training rooms, and into the last section- the sparring room. She walked in during a training session between two seasoned men. Many boys and girls, most around Rylee's age, watched the battle, mentally taking notes and cheering their side on. Among those spectators was a man with brown hair wearing a black suit, a light blue button-up shirt underneath, brown loafers, and a black tie. He turned around, revealing unique eyes that were identical to Rylee's, and greeted her with a smile.

"Hello, Rylee." the man said, giving her a hug.

"Hey, Dad." Rylee said. "I just came to report."

Rylee's father, Brand Runyon, nodded. "Very well. You know, you and N have certainly come a long way since you first began training here. Many people dream of becoming Pokémon Knights in something as short as two years. Especially-"

"...As young as we are." Rylee said, rolling her eyes and smiling. "You tell me this all the time, Dad."

"That just makes it all the more important for you to hear. You two are special."

"Every parent says that about their child."

Brand chuckled. "Very well then. Someday you'll understand what I mean. So, how have you been?"

Rylee shrugged. "Training is as memorable as the back of my hand. Why do you keep pairing me with someone who underestimates me? The next time one of my sparring partners tries to start with a purposefully sloppy right hook, I'm gonna-"

"No, Rylee. I mean how have _you_ been?" Brand said, knitting his eyebrows.

Rylee paused and avoided his eyes. "Fine."

"You've always been a horrible liar." Brand placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder. Rylee bowed her head. Brand paused, trying to word himself carefully. "I... I'm truly sorry, Rylee."

"You don't have to keep apologizing."

"But what happened was my fault. I realized it, but I failed to recognize it..."

"Dad."

Brand studied Rylee while she kept her face to the ground. "Maybe... maybe your paths will cross again."

Rylee abruptly turned away, pulling herself away from her father's touch. "What does it matter?" she said, and she walked away. "He hates me, anyways."

Brand watched Rylee until she was out of sight. Brand sighed and focused his attention back to the sparring session.


	2. Checking In

My name is Rylee. I hope some of you are already very familiar with who I am. If you've been with me since the very beginning, then I'm terribly sorry; for you, and for myself. Such a wonderful story came to a tragic end, and now I'm in a place neither of us wants me to be.

Many things have changed since that day. I was summoned by my father, Brand, to begin my training to become a Pokémon Knight, the highest rank a Pokémon Guardian could receive. My brother, N, received the rank as well. A Pokémon Guardian's role is to be the balance between people and Pokémon and bring aid and protection to them. N and I, because of our ranks, now have the privilege to take part in the fun of being Pokémon Guardians. We're sent on missions, such as what I went through yesterday with infiltrating a thief hideout, where we're generally tasked with stopping big, bad guys from getting away with their schemes.

I am nineteen years old. It's been two years since the end of my great journey. It started when I met three wonderful people who were on a journey of their own to achieve their greatest desires. They invited me in, and together we traveled across the Unova region. Many friendships were established, many memories made, and many events cherished.

Ash Ketchum first started the journey in hopes of becoming a Pokémon Master. He was a cheerful, optimistic, and encouraging young boy, although at times he was very naive and foolish. He began to travel throughout the Unova region to earn eight Gym badges in order to enter, and hopefully win, the Unova League.

Iris was second to join him. She was an eccentric little girl who loved to tease others. Our similarities and differences brought us closer. We loved to poke fun at our friends, share in our discomfort, and giggle at silly things like a pair of normal girls. She was like a younger sister to me.

However, I am far from being normal. Ever since I was born, I was a special individual. My father is also Reshiram, the Legendary Vast White Pokémon, and he possesses great power. I inherited much from him when I was born, and I was given extraordinary powers. To sum it up in a few simple words: I am half-Pokémon. Like my father, I have my own Pokémon form- the Legendary Time Travel Pokémon, Celebi. I am able to communicate with Pokémon, use their moves, and transform into one. My mother, Delilah, is fully human, and N inherited more from her. Despite that, he also can communicate with Pokémon, like me.

My journey was everything I dreamed of; such a thrilling and wondrous adventure, filled with excitement, happiness, and surprise! As it continued, I realized something else had leaked into the mix of such emotions. It had settled in my heart since day one, and it only grew with each day: unmistakable and irrevocable love.

But, like the idiom says, all good things come to an end. The day had come when the journey was over, and I had to say goodbye. Perhaps if it were to strangers, I wouldn't have so much as bat my eyes when I departed from them. Not only was the goodbye directed to those I called family, it was to the one who captivated my heart.

Cilan. He was the first of the three that I met. At first, we were only friends, but soon it flourished into something much deeper. With the goodbye that took place in the Vermillion City train station, so also was taken my heart, my happiness. My everything.

It's been two years since I last saw him. I was seventeen when I began my Unova journey. Two long years have passed since that heart-wrenching day. Not a day goes by that I don't think about him. Not a day goes by that I don't think about his smile, his touch, and his kindness. Not a day goes by that my love for him grows stronger and more painful. I love him. He loved me.

Despite all my family's and my own wishes, I know it's in vain. If such an event ever did occur, and I found myself looking into his face again, I know what would happen: Resentment. Disappointment. Hatred. I had crumbled up his heart and stomped it into the ground when I walked away. I was certain his love had boiled into anger towards me. I wouldn't be surprised if he declared us bitter enemies. Cilan hates me for what I've done to him; this I can assume with much of my soul.

I dream about each of my friends and the memories of our adventure together. Every dream brings fleeting happiness, and when I wake up I am met with the cold harshness of reality. The girl I once was is long gone. She disappeared from that train station two years ago. I wonder if I'll ever find her again.

I apologize for such melancholic beginnings. Let me try and direct to something more positive.

The Pokémon I traveled with during my journey underwent amazing changes. Zorua, my beloved and number one partner, evolved into Zoroark, and my shiny Eevee, which was a gift from N, evolved into a Sylveon. Leavanny was returned to my mother, for she is her Pokémon. My father's Pokémon is Articuno, who was given to me and participated often throughout my Unova journey. As for her whereabouts...

N and I got new additions to our team when we became Pokémon Knights. Each of us received a special Aegislash that can revert into its previous evolution forms, Honedge and Doublade. Each evolution form has a special attribute: Honedge is strength, Doublade is speed, and Aegislash is defense. They are our main fighting partners, but that doesn't mean I've completely forgotten about my other Pokémon. They are all important to me.

As I trained to become a Pokémon Knight, I have developed my powers as well. I've learned to turn invisible and shield myself from the eyes of people- similar to how a Meloetta does it. If I linger too close, however, they are able to feel my presence despite not being able to see me. I learned the move Imposter so, like my Zoroark, I am able to transform into any person or Pokémon.

I pray for relief from my troubles. I'm getting tired of feeling nothing but... nothing. I hope that I'll finally dig myself out of this hole I was pushed in. I know you feel the same.

Perhaps there is something bright heading my way. Perhaps I'm heading towards something that will bring me out of my sorrowful state and heal the pain I've built up for all these years.

You can't blame me for hoping. It's all I have left.

* * *

~ASH~

"Ash Ketchum, it's time to wake up!" my mom, Delia Ketchum, cried as she pounded on my bedroom door. She opened it and glared at me. "I told you to get up half an hour ago! You're going to be late!"

I sat up in my bed and rubbed the sleep from my eyes.

"All right, Mom." I said with a yawn. "I'll come down in a little bit."

"Hurry up, or else your breakfast will get cold! I hung up your clothes in the closet."

"Thanks!" I said as Mom closed the door. I stretched for a few more seconds and jumped out of bed. I opened the closet doors. I grabbed the multiple hangers my clothes dangled from with a smile. "Pikachu, wake up!"

My partner, Pikachu, slowly opened his eyes. He yawned and stretched like a cat before focusing his eyes on me.

"Whaddya think?" I said, holding my arms out to display my new clothes. I wore a blue jacket with white lining along the zipper and sleeves, a black t-shirt with white sleeves underneath, gray jeans, and red and black sneakers. I reached out and snagged my cap from Pikachu, who slept with it over his head, and slid it on mine. Pikachu chattered excitedly.

"I'll take that as a definite yes." I chuckled. I have to admit, I miss being able to understand what he was saying. Of course, because of the strong bond we had, I had a pretty general idea, but it was a good friend of mine with amazing powers that allowed me actually hear Pokémon speak.

It's been a long time since I set foot in the Unova region. I had an awesome adventure with awesome friends: Iris, Cilan, and Rylee. Rylee's father is the Legendary Pokémon, Reshiram, and so she was born with really cool powers, like being able to talk to Pokémon and even transform into one! After my journey in Unova came to an end, I stayed home for the next two years.

Now, I'm fourteen-years-old, and Pikachu and I are getting ready to begin an all-new journey. We're heading to the Kalos region, and I am so stoked about it! A journalist from the Kalos region, Alexa, is going to meet me when I arrive, and we're going to head to Professor Sycamore's lab so I can get started on my journey.

Have I mentioned how excited I am?

I grabbed my backpack and headed downstairs. My mom laid out a plate of eggs, bacon, and milk, and I scarfed and chugged it down as quickly as I could.

"Not so fast, Ash!" Mom said. "I don't want you to get a stomachache."

"I can't help it! I just want to get going right now!" I said.

"All right. But, before you go, make sure you stop by Professor Oak's lab."

"Okay. Bye, Mom!" I hugged her tightly, and she returned it. I pulled away and Pikachu hopped onto my shoulder. I ran to the door, throwing it open, and ran outside and down the street.

A new adventure is waiting for me. Kalos region, here I come!

* * *

~?~

"Inhale... exhale... As you breathe out, image the concerns of the world flush out of your mind, and feel peace and happiness fill your soul as you breath in new life." a voice said.

"I appreciate your guidance, Elder, but I am fully capable of handling my own meditations." I said, opening one eye. "Besides, talking kind of ruins it."

Elder smiled. "Of course. I apologize. I'll be quiet from now on."

I smiled back and closed my eyes. My face fell back into default as I took deep, slow breaths. _Inhale... exhale..._

The doors opened abruptly, and a man and a small girl scurried into the room. I opened my eyes. The man and girl fell to their knees and bowed, pressing their faces close to the floor.

"O, Ganesha, bestow your mercy and knowledge upon us." the man said.

I stood up. "Please, bowing is not necessary. Stand." I said. They obeyed. "What brings you here?"

"It's my wife. She's become terribly ill. I fear that... that she will not make it." the man said, bowing again. His voice cracked halfway through. "Tell us, please, will she live?"

My heart filled with compassion. I walked over and rested my hand against the man's shoulder. He looked up.

"Take me to her, please." I said.

The man nodded quickly, and he and the young girl led me out of the sanctuary and into the fresh air. The sun shone midst white clouds and blue skies. I walked behind the two, my hands held together in front of me. Those who looked our way lingered their eyes on me and bowed. I replied with a gentle smile. Once I passed by, they returned to whatever they were doing. We arrived at the house, and the man opened the door for me. The young girl led me to her mother's room, where she lay in bed. Her face was as pale as paper. She lifted her glazed eyes at me, and they immediately brightened. She reached her hand out to me.

"Ganesha." she said weakly.

My heart overflowed, and a few tears trickled down my face. I knelt at her bedside and clasped her hand in mine. As I felt her frail skin, my mind filled with encrypted letters. Slowly, the letters formed into readable English sentences. I opened my eyes and smiled brightly.

"Don't worry." I said. "Your time is not up yet. Rest and your sickness will pass."

Tears brimmed the eyes of the three people in the room. The woman kissed my hands and wept, her tears staining my skin. I smiled warmly as more tears rolled down my cheeks. I squeezed her hand and stood up. The man firmly shook my hand, and the young girl tightly embraced me. I returned the embrace as the family filled the room with thanks and praises. I quietly exited the building and returned to the sanctuary, where the Elder waited for me at the front door. She nodded to me.

"I'm proud of you, Iris." she said.

I grinned. "Thank you, Elder."

"What for?"

"For seeing me as who I really am. You're the only one who still calls me by my real name. I'm grateful to have you in my life."

Elder returned the smile, and we entered the sanctuary again.

* * *

~?~

"Every day, I worry more and more about him."

"And you think I don't? He's my brother, too!"

"I know that. I can't imagine what he's going through. I don't know if anyone can."

"I can think of one person... What are we going to do?"

"I... don't know. Perhaps we should just give him some space. Time is the best antidote for a broken heart."

"It's been _two years_! You think time is going to fix something like this?!"

"Calm down. You having a tantrum is not going to make anything better."

"At least _I_ can sympathize with him, even if it's just a little bit."

"I can hear you, you know." I said.

The other side of the door was quiet with embarrassment. The doorknob turned, and my two brothers entered the room. The three of us wore matching outfits: white, button-up shirts with the sleeves rolled to our elbows, black trousers, brown dress shoes, and ties, each with a different color. One brother had blue, and the other had red. Mine was green. The two standing in front of me bowed their heads shamefully.

"Did you purposefully make it so I would hear your conversation?" I said, crossing my legs and arms as I leaned back in my chair.

"Uh..." one of my brothers stuttered, his face as red as his hair and tie.

"You can't blame us for worrying about you." the other said, sweeping a piece of blue hair out of his eyes.

I turned my back to them and stared out the window. "Thanks, but... I don't need it."

Two hands rested on my shoulders. I closed my eyes and bowed my head.

"Come on, man. Won't you come out? There are people who would like to see you."

"I know you're hurting, but maybe it's time you let that go and-"

" _Cress._ "

"Maybe some other time." I said, shaking off their hands.

There was a pause. Finally, their footsteps shuffled out of the room and the door closed. I heard the smack of something hitting another object.

"Ouch! What was that for?!" a voice yelped.

"'Maybe it's time you let that go'?! Why not just stab a dagger into his chest while you're at it?!" another voice hissed.

The argument quieted as my brothers walked down the hall. I lifted my eyes back up to the window and swallowed hard at the beaming sunset.

 _Know that you are more important to me than life itself. I care about you... enough to let you go._

Those words, combined with the sweet voice that spoke them, shot through my heart once again. A tear streamed down my cheek as I thought of her face; it was the only thing I could think about for the past two years. The sunset only made my heart sting even more, if that was possible. It was unbearable to gaze at something that used to bring me such hopeful awe and inspiration. Now, it gloated and left a bitter taste in my mouth. I stood up and closed the curtains.


	3. To Kalos and Beyond

**Ages:**

 **Rylee: 19**

 **Clemont: 15**

 **Ash: 14**

 **Iris: 14**

 **Cilan: 20**

 **N: 23**

 **Serena: 14**

 **Bonnie: 9**

 **Alyssa: 21**

* * *

 _It was dark, and the only sense of lighting was from the moon's beams trickling in through the window, but it was all I needed to see his grass green eyes. The room slowly bobbed, and I deduced that we were on a boat. A dream or a memory, I couldn't tell at this point. I couldn't focus on anything but him. He reached over and rested his hand over mine. His gaze captivated mine, and I felt like I couldn't breathe. We both leaned in..._

* * *

My eyes shot open, and I gasped quietly. I stared at the ceiling as the memory entered my mind. I closed my eyes, and a tear rolled down the side of my face. I gripped my blanket as tightly as I could. Finally, I rolled out of bed and headed downstairs, where my mom was in the process of making breakfast.

"Good morning, Rylee." Mom said. "Would you mind handing me the milk?"

I obeyed, and she handed me a glass of milk and a plate of pancakes.

"Thank you." I said, sitting down and getting started on my meal.

"Morning." N said as he entered the dining room. He sat down across from me and excitedly drummed on the table to get my attention.

"Did something happen to you already? It's only 9:00." I said.

"No, but something is going to happen to _you_." N said, unable to suppress his smile. "Dad has a special mission for you."

"All by myself? And he told you about it?"

N nodded for both questions. I raised my eyebrow.

"What about Mom?" I said.

"Oh, yeah." N said. "She was the first one he told."

I rolled my eyes. "Great. Secrecy. As if we haven't already had boatloads of it."

N brushed off my insult with a chuckle. "Hurry up and eat. Dad wants to see you as soon as possible."

I sighed and ate my breakfast with N's eyes constantly nagging me to eat faster. Once I finished, I headed out the door and traveled to the Headquarters. When I went inside the secretary saw me and typed furiously on her keyboard, faster than I've seen before.

"Good morning, Mrs. Runyon." she said.

"Please, call me Rylee." I said.

"All right. Your father wants to see you."

"So I've heard. Thanks."

I heard down the right-sided hallway, where offices filled this section of the building. I took the elevator up to the top floor. The elevator opened in front of a pair of double doors. A plaque was eye-level, with my Dad's name in capital, golden letters: BRAND RUNYON. I opened the door and stepped inside. Dad sat in his desk, filing through some papers. The wall behind him was all windows that overlooked the ocean. He looked up and, when he saw me, grinned brightly. He set his papers down and walked over to me.

"Good morning, sweetheart." Dad said, giving me a hug.

"All right, what's this special mission you've got for me?" I said, crossing my arms. "N's been teasing me about it all morning."

Dad's smile widened, and he walked back over to his desk. He picked up a folded piece of paper and handed it to me. Each time I unfolded the paper, it grew bigger until I came to the finished product.

"A map?" I said, glancing up at Dad. The bottom of the map brushed against the floor.

Dad nodded proudly. "This is a map of the Kalos region."

"The Kalos..." I said, my eyes widening. It's been a while since I first heard that name. "Why...?"

Dad nodded again, his grin so wide it could crack his face in half. "This is your next mission, Rylee. I want you to go to the Kalos region."

I sharply exhaled whatever air was left in my lungs. I set the map on the desk, covering the other papers. "Go to another region? But, why?"

Dad's smile softened. "There's a crime syndicate in the Kalos region, just like Team Plasma and Team Rocket. This one is called Team Flare."

"The guy in charge of those thugs yesterday mentioned someone named Lysandre. Any connections?" I said.

"Yes. He's Team Flare's leader. It seems like he's starting to spread beyond the Kalos region."

Dad pressed a button on his desk. A image of Team Flare's symbol burned in front of me, as well as pictures of Team Flare members. Each of them wore red suits. The grunts wore red sunglasses and all had red hair. The scientists had different colored hair and wore visors.

"There's someone who's also heading to the Kalos region. I think you two should travel together. He'll be helpful to you."

Dad handed me another piece of paper, much smaller than the map. I took the paper, and when I looked at it, my throat closed. It was a picture of a boy with brown eyes and spiky, black hair. A Pikachu was perched on his shoulder.

"Ash..." I gasped. I looked up at my dad, who continued to watch me with an anticipating smile.

"Well, Rylee? Do you accept?" Dad said.

I looked back down at the picture of my old friend. Ash Ketchum, one of my three best friends. For the first time in so long, a morsel of happiness brewed in my chest. I looked at my dad.

"Yes. I will." I said.

Dad nodded. "I'm glad. We've scheduled your flight, which will be in a couple of hours. Good luck to you. I hope... everything works out."

I knew his words were meant for much more. I nodded and left the room.

* * *

~TPPOV~

A large plane zoomed over the waters of the Kalos region. Water Pokémon from all different regions swam through the blue sea, their cries echoing in the sky. The plane arrived at a docking airport and landed. The staircase rolled to the door, and the door opened. The first person to walk out was Ash Ketchum. His partner, Pikachu, jumped onto his shoulder. Ash adjusted his hat before he took a deep breath.

"I love the smell of new region air." Ash said. He stretched his arms up to the sky.

Two Spritzees fluttered above the plane and into the sky, chattering happily.

"Whoa." Ash marveled. He tried to follow them, but he remembered he was at the top of a staircase at the last second. He lost his balance and tumbled down the stairs. Pikachu had jumped off his shoulder before Ash tumbled to avoid cushioning his fall.

"Oh, no, Ash!" Ash heard footsteps approaching him, and he focused and saw Alexa standing over him. "Are you all right?"

Ash chuckled and sat up, rubbing his head. "Yeah, I'm okay." he said. He turned his attention to the flying Pokémon. "Hi, Alexa."

"I'm glad you made it here safely. Well, up until now."

Ash chuckled. "Sorry, I guess I just got mesmerized by those Pokémon flying around." He pointed up at the Spritzee. "What Pokémon are they?"

"Those are Spritzee."

"That's so cool!" Ash said. He jumped to his feet. "All right, now where's your sister's Gym?"

"What?"

"Your younger sister's a Gym Leader, right?"

"Yes, but... I'm sorry to disappoint you, but her Gym isn't here in Lumiose City; it's in Santalune City."

Ash adjusted the rim of his hat. "Then I'll just have to pay the Lumiose Gym a visit."

"While you do that, I'll go give my sister a call. I'll meet you later in the lobby!" Alexa said, and she and Helioptile ran into the building.

Ash looked down the plane runway, a wide smile growing on his face. "I missed traveling."

* * *

The last of the passengers exited the plane. The remaining one, Rylee, stopped at the door and looked out over the area. She wore a white baseball t-shirt with green three-quartered sleeves, a black racerback tank top underneath, khaki shorts that came to mid-thigh, and white tennis shoes. She wore her locket around her neck and her PokéBalls were clipped to the front left belt loop of her shorts. Rylee figured she'd blend in more if she wasn't wearing a suit of armor wherever she went. She took a deep breath, inhaling the new region's air. There was a flash of magenta behind her, and Zoroark, disguised as a Zorua, hopped onto Rylee's shoulder.

" _Ready?_ " Zoroark said.

Rylee nodded. She walked down the steps and towards the building. She didn't see Ash on the plane, but she didn't worry about it; she knew she would soon. The thought of being so close to her old friend again made her nervous.

She spent the entire flight studying the Kalos region. She was in Lumiose City, a dazzling metropolis of art and artifice, located in the very heart of Kalos region. That is, that's what its map description said. As she headed towards the city, she was very much dazzled. The buildings reached high into the sky, each with many people going in and out. There were small cafés wedged in between, with people and their Pokémon enjoying an afternoon snack. Lumiose City was the most populous city in the world, and it wasn't kidding around. No matter where she was, Rylee could see the center point of the city: Prism Tower, which also housed the Lumiose City Gym. She headed towards it, knowing this would be the first place Ash would go to. She stood in the square, craning her head to look up at the ginormous Tower; even looking as high as she could, she still couldn't see the top. As she gazed at the building, she saw a hatch open in the side of the building, and someone flew out from it.

Rylee gasped. "Oh, no. Ash!" she said.

Before she could run to his aid, two children sprinted toward the free falling Ash and Pikachu. The older one, a boy wearing a light blue jumpsuit and black sneakers, threw his backpack at the spot where Ash would land. The backpack unleashed a large airbag, and Ash fell into it. The younger one, a little girl wearing a brown top, white skirt, black leggings, and pink shoes, reached her arms out and caught Pikachu, but the force sent both of them to the ground. Both children had blond hair and blue eyes. The boy wore glasses, and the girl had a yellow pin in her hair. Rylee sighed in relief. She looked at Zoroark, who nodded. Rylee extended her arm, and Zoroark ran down it. She jumped in the air, glowed magenta, and transformed into a Fletchling. Rylee stepped behind the Prism Tower and did the same, shrinking to the foot-tall, Tiny Robin Pokémon. She and Zoroark fluttered near the three children and listened.

* * *

~RYLEE~

"That was pretty harsh..." Ash said, rubbing his head.

"Judging by your stellar exit, you probably got kicked out, right?" the boy said.

"Yeah. I didn't come all this way just to get thrown out! Some Gym Leader..."

"Yeah, he's _something_ , all right..."

"The Gym Leader of the Lumiose Gym is this really, super-duper strong person! So they asked you how many badges you have, right?" the girl said.

"That's right. But when I told them I didn't have any, they threw me out!" Ash said.

The two children stared at Ash in disbelief.

"You don't have _any_ badges?" the girl said.

"Well... I just arrived from Pallet Town in the Kanto region. This is the first Gym I've been to." Ash said. "My name is Ash, and Pikachu and I are on a journey together so I can become a Pokémon Master!"

I smiled to myself; Ash was still holding strong to his dream. The three children walked to a nearby battlefield and Zoroark and I followed them. Perched casually on the stone wall surrounding it, we listened intently.

"I think it's time we introduced ourselves." the boy said. "My name is Clemont, and this is my little sister, Bonnie."

"Nice to meet you!" Bonnie said. "You and your Pikachu look like such good friends!"

"We've known each other for a _long_ time. Pikachu was the first Pokémon I ever got." Ash said. "So, are you guys on a journey, too?"

Clemont and Bonnie suddenly looked very nervous.

"Journey? Uh, well..." Clemont said, desperately trying to think of something.

"A journey's not something we'll be doing for a while. We're just exploring Lumiose City right now." Bonnie stepped in.

"Uh, right. Bonnie's too young to go on a Pokémon journey, so she's really impressed when she meets someone who is." Clemont said.

"It's a lot of fun, that I can promise." Ash said. "So, what kind of Pokémon do you have, Clemont?"

"Hm... Well, here's a Pokémon I recently caught." Clemont said, pulling out a PokéBall.

"Can we have a battle?" Pikachu and Ash ran onto the battlefield.

"Uh... battle? Really?"

"Yeah! If I can't battle the Lumiose Gym, I want my first battle in the Kalos region to be with you!"

"Do it, Clemont!" Bonnie said. "It'll be a great test of strength!"

"All right!" Clemont said. "I accept your challenge!"

The Pokémon battle ensued, Pikachu against Clemont's new Pokémon, Bunnelby. Clemont was very strategic and smart in his battling; it was like he could see right through Ash. He has a lot more experience than he's letting on. He reminded me of...

A dome of blue energy shot down, but Pikachu noticed it and jumped out of the way. The energy faded and retreated back into a small box. Zoroark and I looked, and I sighed at the sight.

Team Rocket. I thought I had seen the last of those annoying goons back in Unova. These three were Jessie, James, and a talking Meowth. They're really obsessed with capturing Pikachu... for some reason. I never really figured out why, but they followed us _everywhere_ , especially on the cruise back to Kanto.

My heart felt heavy, and I forced myself to shake away the nagging memories. I couldn't act like this now; Ash needs my help. As Team Rocket recited the catchy motto they repeat every time they encounter Ash, Zoroark and I flew from our perch and around the heads of Jessie and James.

"What the-?!" James cried.

"Get these stupid things away from me!" Jessie cried. She flailed her arms in the air, but I dodged around them and flew deeper into her face.

"Get outta here!" Meowth cried, extracting his claws in Fury Swipes and lunging towards me and Zoroark.

We dodged the attack, and I launched Hyper Beam from my beak. Meowth gasped as the Hyper Beam zoomed towards him. However, Wobbuffet, one of Team Rocket's sidekicks, jumped in front of Meowth. Glowing from Counter, it took the hit and launched it back with twice the power. Zoroark and I flew out of the way.

 _"Need some help?"_ The voice belonged to a blue frog Pokémon, Froakie, as it hopped towards us.

 _"Of course. Thanks."_ I said.

Froakie jumped into the air and launched a rain of gummy frubbles onto Team Rocket, coating them in sticky white cotton.

"Now, Bunnelby, use Dig!" Bunnelby dug a hole in the ground and under Team Rocket. It burst out, launching the four members into the air.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Along with that, Froakie used Water Pulse, Zoroark used Shadow Ball, and I used AncientPower. The combined attacks smacked into Team Rocket, and they blasted away into the sky.

 _"I thought I only had to deal with Team Flare. Now I have to put up with Team Rocket, too?"_ I mumbled.

 _"Just think of it as daily exercise."_ Zoroark said.

Froakie groaned and collapsed on the ground, hurt from taking a mirrored Electro Ball meant for Pikachu.

 _"Froakie!"_ I said, and Zoroark and I flew down to Ash and the others. Being this close to my old friend brought happy nostalgia to my mind, but the fact that he didn't know who I was saddened me.

At least... I don't think he recognized me. He looked between Zoroark and I for a few moments, possibly in deep thought, before he shook it off and focused on Froakie.

"Froakie needs help right away." Clemont said.

"Is there a Pokémon Center nearby?" Ash said.

"It would be better if we took it to the Professor." Bonnie said.

"Professor?"

"Yeah. Professor Sycamore's research lab. He'll know how to help Froakie." Clemont said. He returned Bunnelby to its PokéBall, and the three kids ran towards the city.

Zoroark and I looked at each other, nodded, and picked ourselves up into the sky and after Ash.


	4. A Rampaging Pursuit

Disguised as Fletchlings, Zoroark and I followed Ash, Bonnie, and Clemont to Professor Sycamore's research lab to seek help for Froakie, who was very injured from helping to protect Pikachu from Team Rocket. That is, Ash and Bonnie headed to the research lab while Clemont lagged behind; I assumed it was all his possessions that made him grow weary more easily. Bonnie threw open the doors, and she and Ash went inside. Before the doors closed, Zoroark and I flew inside and perched up on a ceiling beam.

"Professor Sycamore! Are you here?" Ash called.

We heard a yawn, and Sycamore emerged from the hallway. He had black, wavy hair and gray eyes. He wore an indigo button-up shirt, dark gray pants, and a white lab coat. He stopped when he saw Froakie.

"Froakie, no!" he cried, running over to Ash and Bonnie.

"You know this Froakie?" Ash said.

"I sure do. Alyssa, come quick!" Professor Sycamore said. He took Froakie from Ash. "We've been so worried about you. Your trainer has been in recent contact with us."

A woman entered the room, dressed in a matching lab coat. Her appearance made me, Ash, and Zoroark gasp. She had long, blonde hair held back in a low chignon with side bangs that swept across her forehead. A small section of her bangs was blemished with blue. She had hazel eyes that widened when they met Ash's. She wore a black pencil skirt, sheer, black tights, light blue flats, and a light blue blouse. The sleeves of her lab coat and shirt were rolled up. She focused her attention back on Froakie and took it from Professor Sycamore. She turned around and hurried back down the hallway.

"Who... who was that?" Ash said. He already knew the answer, but he wanted to ensure that he didn't just hallucinate her.

"That's Alyssa, one of my assistants." Professor Sycamore said. He noticed the shock on Ash's face. "Do you know her?"

 _I_ sure did. It was _Alyssa_ , my adoptive older sister. I haven't seen her since the events of Team Plasma over two years ago. Her real family was her older brother, Colress, who used to be a scientist working for Team Plasma. They both disappeared before the International Police entered the scene, and I never heard about what happened to them.

I guess now I know.

"Um... sort of..." Ash said. He focused back on the Professor. "So, is Froakie's trainer on his way?"

"I'm afraid not. He contacted us to let us know he wanted to give up Froakie." Sycamore said.

Ash gasped. The door opened, and Clemont staggered through the door. He panted deeply as he trudged over to us, collapsing onto his knees while he tried to catch his breath.

"You're so slow!" Bonnie pouted.

"How's Froakie?" Clemont gasped.

"Come with me." Sycamore said.

He led the three down the hallway, and Zoroark and I followed, careful to not make any noise that would give our position away. That might sound a little too spy-esque, especially when they'll just assume two Fletchlings accidentally flew into the building, but after Ash has seen us, he'll definitely suspect something's going on. They came to a large window that looked into a medical room. Alyssa pressed buttons for a machine that operated the table Froakie laid in. Three tubes came down from the ceiling and showered Froakie in orange light.

"Poor Froakie." Ash said, constantly switching his eyes between Froakie and Alyssa.

"Worry not. Alyssa is the best at what she does." Sycamore said.

"Great..." Ash glanced back at Alyssa one more time. Maybe he was trying to figure out if he was imagining this or not; I know I was.

Sycamore took the kids to a lounge, where they sat across from each other on couches.

"I'm Professor Sycamore. I'm a Pokémon researcher working here in Kalos." Sycamore said.

The children introduced themselves.

"Pikachu and I came here from Pallet Town in Kanto." Ash said.

"From Kanto?" Sycamore leaned forward in his seat.

"Yeah. I'm traveling on a journey so I can become a Pokémon Master."

"Then welcome. Forgive me for not thanking you yet for saving Froakie."

"The truth is, Froakie saved us!"

"Let's not forget those two Fletchling that distracted Team Rocket!" Bonnie said. "They came just in time! It was so cool, right, Clemont?"

"Right..." Clemont said, his eyebrows knit while he was lost in thought.

"So, what's the deal with Froakie's trainer?" Ash said. "What happened that would make him give Froakie up?"

Sycamore told them about how one of his roles as a researcher is to supply new trainers with their first Pokémon. In the Kalos region, Froakie is one of those starter Pokémon. However, this particular Froakie was special; it refuses to listen to its trainer, and there have even been times that it ran away simply because it didn't like its trainer. Because of that, many trainers have returned to give Froakie back.

 _This Froakie has had_ multiple _trainers?_ I thought. _It's probably had one heck of a life._

They heard a growl, and they looked to see a Garchomp standing next to another assistant. It leaned against the glass and watched Froakie.

"Garchomp lives here in the lab. It has a good heart." Sycamore said, walking over to Garchomp. "Froakie will be fine. Don't worry. You can thank these people."

Garchomp turned around and faced Ash and the others.

"Nice to meet you, Garchomp! You really care a lot, don't you?" Ash said, walking over and petting Garchomp's snout. "Froakie will be okay, I promise."

Sycamore offered to take the children to see more of the lab's Pokémon. Clemont and Bonnie agreed eagerly. As they headed out, Clemont paused to turn to Ash.

"Aren't you coming?" he said.

Ash lingered his gaze on Froakie before turning to Clemont. "In a little bit... I'll catch up with you."

Clemont nodded and jogged to catch up with Bonnie and Professor Sycamore.

"Well, well. We meet again, Ash." Ash whirled around as Alyssa approached him.

"Alyssa. It's... surprising to see you." Ash said.

Alyssa nodded. "It's been, what, two years since I last saw you and your friends? How have you been?"

"Great! I just arrived here in the Kalos region today."

"Your first day and it's been completely packed with crazy stuff."

"Yeah..." Ash said. "Um... if I may ask... is your... uh, your..."

"My brother?" Alyssa said. "Yes, he's here, too. Colress and I are both working under Professor Sycamore. Maybe you'll see him sometime. Speaking of siblings... Have you heard from Rylee?"

"Um... no... I haven't seen her since our adventure in Unova ended and we said goodbye."

"Oh... That's a shame. If I see her again, I'll ask her all about her relationship."

"Relationship? What do you mean?" Ash said.

"I'm talking about her and Cilan! It's been a while since I've seen either of them. I hope they're happy." Alyssa said.

"I hope the same, too."

I gulped. The memory was once again shoved in my face. Zoroark rested a wing on mine for comfort. I shook it off. I couldn't be angry at Ash for his ignorance; he left the station before the scene took place.

Alyssa nodded. "Enough of my rambling, now. You came to see Froakie. Come in."

Alyssa opened the door into the medical room, and Ash walked in and stood over Froakie.

 _"You okay?"_ Zoroark said, sensing my tension.

I remained silent. Saying 'yes' would be a blatant lie; 'no' would be an understatement.

Ash spoke to Froakie as it laid on the table. Alyssa watched Ash for a few more moments before she turned her attention to Garchomp. She smiled and petted its snout. As it purred, Alyssa raised her eyes up.

That's when she saw me. At first, she was surprised to see two Fletchling perched on a ceiling beam, but as she stared more intently, her eyes grew wide with shock. She gasped.

"What is it?" Ash said.

"Duh- um... Nothing! Nothing. I just... stubbed my toe against the door frame." Alyssa said. "You should go and meet up with your friends and the Professor."

"All right." Ash said, glancing back at Froakie one more time before he jogged out of the room and down the hallway.

Alyssa looked back up at me, and after a few seconds of intense staring, Zoroark and I flew down from the ceiling and after Ash.

* * *

Meeting up with the Professor, he told Ash and the others about the special evolution research he's been working on. Sycamore said he believes there is such thing as 'Mega-Evolution', which allows some Pokémon who are fully evolved to experience evolution again. He believes that a strong bond between a Pokémon and its trainer, as well as a special stone, play an important part in it. With Mega-Evolution, a Pokémon that's mega-evolved can return to its previous state.

 _Kind of like my Aegislash._ I thought.

We heard a scream pierce through the air.

"Professor!" A man burst through the doors. He had blond hair with a long strand of blue that wrapped around his head, defying gravity, and yellow eyes. He wore a lab coat, black trousers, black loafers, and a light blue button-up shirt. "Come quick!"

Ash gasped. "Colress?"

Colress set his eyes on Ash. "Ash?" he said. He shook his head vigorously. "Professor, it's about Garchomp!"

"Garchomp? What happened?" Sycamore said.

A loud roar echoed in the lab, belonging to Garchomp.

"Hurry!" Colress cried, taking off down the hallway.

The group raced down the hallway to the front entrance, where Garchomp flailed around like a savage beast. A collar of blue energy was wrapped around its neck, and three scientists with face masks stood before it. It unleashed a Hyper Beam from its mouth.

"Garchomp, please, calm down!" Alyssa cried, running over and resting her hands on its arm. Garchomp roared and swung its arm, knocking Alyssa onto the ground.

"Alyssa!" Colress ran to her side and helped her sit up.

"It's no use. I can't reach Garchomp. If only..." Alyssa's voice trailed off.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Sycamore said to the three mysterious scientists. They ripped off their lab coats, revealing Team Rocket.

 _Twice in one day?! Give me a break!_

Garchomp launched another Hyper Beam at Team Rocket, knocking them out of the building and away into the sky. However, the collar around its neck had turned red, matching its glowing eyes, and it sent another Hyper Beam into the wall.

"Look out!" Ash cried as the group lunged out of the way.

"That collar's causing all of this. It was meant for Froakie, but Garchomp jumped in the way, and now it's being controlled by it!" Alyssa said. Her sentence pained Colress.

Garchomp body slammed the wall, creating a large hole, and took off down the street.

"What's gonna happen to Garchomp?!" Bonnie said with tears in her eyes as she clung to Clemont's jumpsuit.

"We gotta do something! Let's go!" Ash said, and he, Clemont, Bonnie, and even Froakie left the building.

Alyssa and Colress stood up, and Alyssa looked around the area with a serious expression.

"Rylee. I know you're there." Alyssa said. Colress looked at her in surprise.

Zoroark and I glanced at each other before we flew down and landed on the ground.

"Rylee?" Colress said, surprised.

Zoroark glowed magenta, turning into her true self. I glowed green and did the same. I stood up straight and looked at Alyssa. Her blank face grew a smile.

"It's good to see you." Alyssa said.

I nodded and we embraced.

"You, too." I said.

Alyssa pulled away and smiled.

"How have you been? Ash and I were just talking about you and-"

"Don't."

Alyssa's face fell into confusion as she examined mine. I took a step back. "What? What's wrong?" She glanced at Zoroark, who stood a step behind me and shook her head ever so slightly. She cleared her throat. "Um... anyways... Are you going to help Ash?"

"Yes, but... What if he sees me?"

"Yeah, what if? He's your friend. He'd be really happy to see you. It's part of your mission, right?"

I gaped at her, surprised that she even knew about Pokémon Guardians. "Yes."

"Were you ordered to not be seen?"

"Well... no." I said. I was actually _encouraged_ to tag alongside him. Alyssa raised her eyebrow. "Fine... I'll think about it."

"Not to damper this moment, but we currently have an out-of-control Garchomp rampaging the city." Colress piped up.

"Right. We'll be back." I said, and Zoroark and I headed out the door.

"Attention citizens! There is currently a wild Garchomp on a rampage! Please evacuate the area immediately!" Officer Jenny cried, which I thought seemed very inconvenient considering she was in the middle of a traffic jam. A helicopter belonging to a news team hovered in the air and followed Garchomp to get more of the juicy story taking place. Garchomp zoomed through the air and towards Prism Tower. Honking horns and concerned shouts filled the area.

" _I think that's our cue._ " Zoroark said. I nodded, and we headed towards Prism Tower.

Garchomp started to unleash consecutive Hyper Beams, destroying everything they touched. We saw Ash and his friends heading towards the side of Prism Tower and we followed.

"There's an emergency stairwell through this door." Clemont said as he walked over and placed his hand on a scanner. Pressing a button on his backpack strap, a long, Aipom-like arm extended from the pack and inserted its fingers into the slots on the scanner. It rotated in a combination, and the door unlocked.

Ash, Pikachu, and Froakie walked through the door. As Clemont and Bonnie headed towards the door, a Hyper Beam crashed down in front of them. Clemont grabbed Bonnie, and the two flew back to the ground.

"Clemont! Are you okay?!" Ash called. The door had been sealed by rocks.

"Yes! Don't worry about us! You go and help Garchomp!" Clemont said.

"Okay!" Footsteps faded from the other side of the rubble.

" _Well, we can't just fly up there. How else can we get to Garchomp?_ " Zoroark said.

I noticed a small opening in the rubble.

"Look. We can try and fit through that." I said.

Zoroark nodded. " _What about the kids?_ " she said, nodding her head to Clemont and Bonnie.

"You distract them, and I'll sneak through."

Zoroark glowed magenta and turned into a Minccino. She trotted over to Clemont and Bonnie.

"Oh, my _gosh_!" Bonnie squealed. "Look, Clemont! I've never seen a Minccino before! It's _sooo_ adorable!"

While Bonnie smothered Zoroark with hugs, I headed towards the door.

* * *

~CLEMONT~

"Bonnie, can't you be serious right now?!" I said impatiently as my sister swooned over a Minccino that strolled by.

"I can't help it! It's just so cute!" Bonnie cried, squeezing the Minccino until its eyes almost popped out of its head. "Will you catch it for me? Pleeease?"

I sighed. _Ash, please hurry._

I glanced back at the door, doing a double take when I saw someone walking towards it.

"Hey! You can't go back there!" I called.

The girl turned around and our eyes met. She had long, brown hair that cascaded down to her chest in loose, wavy curls. She wore a white baseball t-shirt with green three-quartered sleeves, a black racerback tank top underneath, khaki shorts, and white tennis shoes. And her eyes... _wow_ , they were something. They were emerald green, and I was astonished at the purple decorating the irises.

A weight settled on my shoulder, and I cried out from the sudden loss of balance. The Minccino had jumped onto my shoulder. I tripped and fell.

"Clemont! Are you okay?" Bonnie said. The Minccino took off around the corner. "Hey, come back, Minccino! Aw..."

"I'm fine..." I said. I sat up and looked back at the door, but the girl was gone.

 _Who was that?_

* * *

~TPPOV~

Ash, Pikachu, and Froakie slowly approached Garchomp while its back was turned to them. Ash willed himself to keep his eyes forward instead of glancing over at the ground far below him.

"Hey, Garchomp." Ash said calmly.

Garchomp glanced over its shoulder and, when it saw Ash, launched a Hyper Beam at him. Ash and the Pokémon jumped into the wall.

"Please, Garchomp, you gotta calm down!" Ash said.

Garchomp roared. Slowly, Ash walked towards Garchomp. Garchomp jumped into the air and flew higher up the Tower.

"Garchomp, come back!"

Ash thought he heard something, and when he looked, he gasped when he saw a platform of Protect floating beside him.

"What is this?" Ash said. He crouched down and ran a hand over the Protect. It pulsed, as if beckoning for him to hop on. He and Pikachu did so, and the Protect carried them up the Prism Tower, leveling them with Garchomp once again. When they stepped off the Protect, it vanished. Ash stared at the empty space and shivered. Garchomp launched another Hyper Beam at Ash, and he jumped out of the way. Pikachu crackled with energy. "No, Pikachu! I don't want you to fight it."

" _Are you_ nuts _?! What are you going to do, then?_ " Ash gasped at the sound of Pikachu's voice. He could _understand_ him. But how? The last time he was able to do so...

Garchomp attacked with another Hyper Beam, and Ash jumped back.

"Garchomp, can you hear me?" Ash cried. "I know it hurts. You're in a lot of pain. I just wanna help you. Please, let me get that collar off of you so we can go back down. Whadd'ya say?"

Slowly, Ash approached Garchomp with a warm smile. Garchomp remained silent, but then his collar started overreacting again. Garchomp groaned in pain and clawed at the collar. He started to back up to the edge. Froakie used his frubbles to stick Garchomp's feet to the ground. Ash jumped onto Garchomp.

"Pikachu, use Iron Tail on the collar!" The collar snapped and fell off of Garchomp. Its eyes returned to normal and it collapsed onto its knees. "Are you okay?"

Pikachu ran towards Ash, but the ground, weak from the many Hyper Beams it took, crumbled underneath. Pikachu began to fall.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried. Without missing a beat, Ash sprinted towards the edge and dove off after Pikachu.

The entire crowd below, maybe even the whole city, gasped in shock as Ash and Pikachu freefalled. Before they could hit the ground, a Blaziken zoomed through the air in a rocket of orange energy and grabbed Ash.

"Whoa... it's you..." Ash said, remembering back to this morning. Right after he had landed in Kalos, he had seen this Blaziken watching him from above. But something about this Blaziken was different; its appearance wasn't like any other.

Blaziken set Ash on the ground, nodded to him, then moon jumped away.

"Wow..." Ash said in awe. A man dressed like the Blaziken stood next to it on the roof of a building. There was a flash of light, and the Blaziken now looked like a regular one. The two disappeared.

"That was Blaziken's mega evolution: Mega Blaziken!" Professor Sycamore said.

"Mega Blaziken..." Ash said.

* * *

Ash and his friends met with Professor Sycamore, Alyssa, and Colress in front of his research lab.

"Hope you all got some rest... even though it's a mess in there." Sycamore said. "I guess your real journey begins now, doesn't it, Ash?"

"Yeah!" Ash said.

"Have you received a Kalos region Pokédex yet?"

"No."

"Then, please, take this with you on your journey."

Alyssa approached Ash and handed him a Pokédex.

"Thanks, Professor." Ash said. He looked to Pikachu. "You ready to go?"

" _You bet!_ " Pikachu said. Ash shuddered again. So he wasn't hallucinating at all. Why could he all of a sudden understand Pikachu again?

Something hit Ash in the back of the head, and he turned around and saw Froakie standing in front of a PokéBall.

"Froakie, what's up?" he said.

Froakie nudged the PokéBall towards Ash.

"I think Froakie wants to go with you." Colress said. "It seems like it really likes you."

Ash picked up the PokéBall. "Really? So, Froakie, do you really want to come with me?"

Froakie touched the PokéBall and entered it.

"Wow, my first Kalos Pokémon!" Ash said. He stood up and turned to Professor Sycamore. "It was great to meet you, Professor."

"You, too, Ash. I hope you come and visit again." Sycamore said.

Ash nodded. "It was awesome to see you again, Alyssa. You, too, Colress."

The siblings nodded to Ash. "Until next time, Ash. Have fun on your journey!" Alyssa said.

As the children left, Alyssa and Colress looked up into a nearby tree, where Rylee and Zoroark were perched as Fletchlings. They nodded to them, and they nodded back before flying after the children.

* * *

~?~

"We're coming to you live from the skies of Lumiose City in the Kalos region, where a wild Garchomp is wreaking havoc!" the news reporter cried. The wind from the open helicopter door whipped her hair in multiple directions, and she had to raise her voice in order to be heard above all the noise. "We don't know what the cause of Garchomp's anger is yet, but stay tuned as we delve more into the story!"

I sat back in my chair as I absently watched the shaky camera follow the rampaging Garchomp. It roared constantly, and Hyper Beams were seconds apart from each other. The concerned clamor of the citizens below almost competed with Garchomp. The Pokémon landed on Prism Tower, the city's tallest and most glamorous building. With a roar, it launched more Hyper Beams into the city, destroying everything it touched.

"Garchomp is now perched on Prism Tower. The police have arrived and are trying to figure out a way to coax it down." the reporter said. She gasped. "Th... there's a kid on the Tower! Albert, get a shot of this!"

The camera quickly panned to the Tower. A kid with spiky, black hair and a Pikachu slowly approached Garchomp.

Wait... A Pikachu?

I jumped out of my seat. "Ash?!" I cried. I moved closer to the T.V. to try and get a closer look. It was Ash Ketchum, my old friend and traveling companion during our journey throughout Unova. I guess now he was in the Kalos region to continue his journey.

You couldn't hear what Ash was saying, but he spoke to Garchomp as he cautiously approached him. Garchomp attacked Ash with a Hyper Beam, but Ash jumped out of the way. Garchomp extended its wings and flew higher up the Tower.

"Unbelievable! He's trying to talk to Garchomp!" the reporter said. "The bravery this young man displays is simply astounding!"

Ash turned around and gaped at something next to him. A platform of Protect floated next to him.

I gasped. _That Protect..._ I gulped as my eyes began to shake. _Could it be...?_

The news report cut to Ash and Garchomp on the top of Prism Tower. Garchomp knelt on the ground, calmed down finally. However, as Pikachu ran towards Ash, the ground beneath him crumbled, weary from the damage it sustained. Pikachu started to fall. Immediately after, Ash ran towards the side and dove off the Tower.

"Ash, no!" I cried, feeling strange for screaming at a box. However, a rocket of orange energy swept Ash away and brought him safely to the ground.

"Garchomp, one of the Pokémon that live in Professor Sycamore's laboratory, is now safe and being treated. Apparently, it had been controlled by a collar that was forced upon it by three mysterious scientists. After the break, we'll interview the famous Professor Sycamore. Stay tuned!" the reporter said.

Sitting back in my chair, I stared at the screen in disbelief.

 _Rylee... Was that... really you?_

The newscast recapped on the recent story, displaying again the image of Ash looking back and seeing the Protect. My heart fluttered with anticipation, hoping for the camera to pan to her: her face... her smile...

I reached over and shut the T.V. off.

* * *

Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie looked at Lumiose City from the crest of a hill.

"All right! My journey has officially begun!" Ash cried, pumping his fist into the air.

Bonnie glanced at her older brother, who was lost in thought again.

"What's wrong, Clemont?" Bonnie said.

"You know... ever since our first encounter with Team Rocket, I've had a lot of stuff on my mind." Clemont said. "You remember those Fletchling that appeared out of nowhere and attacked Team Rocket?"

"Yeah. That was a little weird." Ash said.

"But it was so cool! Those moves from such cute Pokémon isn't something you see every day!" Bonnie said.

"But that's the thing." Clemont said. "Do you remember what moves they used? One used Shadow Ball and the other used Hyper Beam and AncientPower. Fletchling is a Flying- and Normal-type Pokémon. AncientPower is a Rock-type move and Shadow Ball is Ghost-type. Hyper Beam is Normal-type, yes, but the thing is... Fletchling _can't_ learn any of those moves."

The three children glanced at each other in confusion.


	5. A Berry Big Dilemma

"Come on, hurry up, you two!" Bonnie cried, she and Pikachu skipping around several feet ahead of Ash and Clemont. "Ash, you can register for the Kalos League over this way!"

"There's no need to rush, Bonnie." Clemont said. "The Pokémon Center isn't going anywhere."

"But I'm just so excited! Come _on_!"

Zoroark and I followed Ash into the Pokémon Center.

"Good morning!" Nurse Joy bowed.

"Good morning. I was wondering if I'm able to sign up for the Kalos League." Ash said.

"You sure can! Please touch this panel with your Pokédex." Nurse Joy said, gesturing to the panel in front of her.

Ash did so, and he was registered for the Kalos League.

"Awesome! My next step in becoming a Pokémon Master!" Ash said.

 _"He_ just _got here."_ Zoroark said. _"He doesn't even have any badges, and his only Kalos Pokémon is Froakie."_

 _"Ash is quite an eccentric kid. Besides, the Kalos League is still a while away. I'm sure he'll be more experienced by then."_ I said.

Ash received a badge case from Nurse Joy's assistant, Wigglytuff, and went to call Professor Oak, a Pokémon researc4\her that lives in the Kanto region. After meeting up with his friends again, Ash and his friends planned their route to the Santalune Gym, as well as Clemont and Bonnie telling Ash that they want to keep traveling with him.

"No joke?" Ash said.

"We're serious. There's a lot that we can learn from you." Clemont said. "I know I can get stronger. We both can get stronger traveling with you."

"And think of all the different kinds of Pokémon there will be! I want to meet them all!" Bonnie said.

"So... is that okay?"

"Of course! I couldn't imagine traveling without having someone to share it with." Ash said. "We'll have a great time!"

All of them held their hands together.

"Kalos, here we come!" Ash said.

"Yeah!" everyone else cried, throwing their hands up.

 _"I guess it's time for us to get to work, too."_ Zoroark said, she glanced at me as I stared at Ash silently. _"You okay?"_

 _"Yeah..."_ I said. _"Come on, let's go."_

* * *

At least five minutes into their trip, the group encountered a Dedenne looking for berries. One hit Bonnie in the head. Pikachu and Dedenne got into a face off. Bonnie begged Clemont to catch Dedenne, promising to take care of it until she's old enough to have it.

"Hey, Dedenne, you wanted this, right?" Bonnie said, holding out the berry that hit her.

Dedenne slowly approached Bonnie's outstretched hand. As it reached out for the berry, a Fletchling swooped it, snatched the berry, and perched itself up on a tree branch.

"Another Fletchling?" Clemont said.

"No fair! That berry belongs to Dedenne!" Bonnie cried, but Fletchling tossed the berry into its mouth and ate it.

Dedenne started to cry, and it ran off into the grass. Froakie threw clumps of its frubbles at Fletchling, but it dodged it. Impressed by it, Ash decided he was going to catch it.

"Pikachu has the advantage against a Flying-type like Fletchling." Clemont said.

Bonnie sniffled with tears in her eyes. Seeing her sad made my heart throb, so I flew down from the branch Zoroark and I were hidden in.

 _"Rylee, what are you doing?"_ Zoroark called, but I ignored her.

I landed in a bush, glowed green, and transformed into a Lilteo. I approached Bonnie and nuzzled her leg.

"Huh?" she said, looking down at me. She crouched down and petted my head. "Hi, there. You're a cute one!"

Ash had sent Pikachu to battle against Fletchling, but Froakie dove right into the action and launched a Water Pulse at Fletchling, who had used Double Team. The Water Pulse destroyed the other Fletchlings, and the real one drove its Peck into Froakie, sending back into a tree.

"Froakie!" Ash cried, running over and catching Froakie. "Are you okay? Let Pikachu handle this, okay? You rest."

Froakie looked back at Bonnie, his actions caused by the hurt of Fletchling chasing away Dedenne, and squirmed out of Ash's arms and back towards Fletchling.

"Wait, Froakie!" Ash called.

"Hold on... Didn't Professor Sycamore say that Froakie had the habit of ignoring its trainers when battling?" Clemont said.

"I'm starting to understand." Ash said with a smile. "Stories about Froakie leaving its trainers? I get it!"

Froakie jumped into the air, but Fletchling hit it with another Peck, making it crash to the ground.

"Froakie, stop! You're only going to hurt yourself!" Ash cried, running over and holding it back. "I know how you feel, Froakie, but you gotta listen to me."

"Ash! Look out!" Clemont cried.

Fletchling swooped in and used Air Slash. I jumped in front of the group and used Protect to block the attacks.

"That's a Lilteo!" Clemont said. "What's it doing here?"

"I don't know, but it sure helped us." Bonnie said. She wrapped her arms around my neck and gave me a breath-reducing hug. "Thanks, Lilteo!"

I choked from the sudden cut off of air. " _Hey, that's enough!_ "

"Huh?" Bonnie let go of me and stared at me with wide eyes. I chattered incoherently, and Bonnie shook her head.

"Hey, Froakie, I understand. You wanted to get even with Fletchling for making Bonnie sad." Ash said.

"Is that true?" Bonnie said, and she ran over and gave Froakie a hug. "Thank you, Froakie!"

Froakie blushed. I sat down and looked at the children with a smile. My eyes fell on Clemont, who gazed me very intently. I purred the Pokémon's name and wagged my tail, and Clemont slowly turned his head back to his friends.

"We'll need to come up with a plan. Fletchling can fly, so we'll need to lure it in." Ash said.

Clemont chuckled and snapped his backpack straps. "Well, you just leave it to me! You see, the future is now, thanks to science! Clemontic Gear, on!" he said, adjusting his glasses so the light reflected off and hid his eyes. He pulled out a record player. "Presenting my Flying-type Pokémon Attracter Machine!"

Ash stared at the invention in awe while Bonnie sweatdropped. "The name could use a little work..." she said.

"You see, bird Pokémon have a homing instinct. By using sound waves of a certain frequency, this little invention of mine can attract and repel bird Pokémon by effecting their internal compass. Watch this! Power on!" Clemont said, turning the crank of his invention. Sound waves bounced from it and to Fletchling, who tilted its head curiously. "It's working!"

"That's so cool!" Ash said. "Man, science is amazing!"

I noticed multiple pairs of glowing red eyes appear in the trees. Fletchling yawned casually.

"I don't understand..." Clemont said, oblivious to the eyes. He cranked it faster. "It makes no sense."

"Hey, Clemont..." Ash said warily.

"Something's staring at us!" Bonnie said.

A swarm of Beedrill emerged from the trees, and I gasped.

"This machine attracted Beedrill?!" Clemont said, still cranking the machine. The Beedrill loomed in closer.

"Turn off the machine!" Bonnie cried.

The children took off into the forest, the Beedrill still chasing after them.

"I must've picked too low a frequency!" Clemont cried. His invention continued to produce sound waves. "A higher frequency would've worked higher on bird Pokémon!"

 _"Zoroark, let's move!"_ I said.

Zoroark nodded and dove down from her branch, and we chased after the group.

"Let's try this!" Clemont said, cranking the machine faster.

"Stop it, Clemont! You're making things worse!" Ash said.

"I'm trying! I can effect the Flying-type Pokémon if I just crank it up to full blast!" Clemont cried, cranking it as fast as he could.

His machine exploded. Zoroark and I stopped at the edge of a cliff and looked down at the children, who laid at the bottom of the shallow, rocky canyon. Because of the explosion, all of their hair were extreme afros.

 _"Well, that was eventful."_ Zoroark said, perched on the top of my head.

 _"He's just a kid. And a rather smart one."_ I said, staring at Clemont. _"The fact that he could even invent something like that is incredible..."_

"Everyone okay?" Ash said.

"Yeah!" Bonnie said. "Looks like you blew it again, Clemont... literally."

"But why?" Clemont pouted.

"Hey, Clemont, that was awesome!" Ash said. "You attracted all those Beedrill!"

"Yeah... I guess I did."

We heard laughter above us, and I looked up to see the Fletchling giggling as it circled above the children.

 _"That Fletchling is_ begging _for a Shadow Ball to the face."_ Zoroark growled.

 _"Be patient. I'm sure Ash has a plan."_ I said.

And he did. Fletchling perched on a rock high above.

"This area will be the battlefield. It's full of high and low places, and with your jumping skills, you'll rock!" Ash said.

 _"Pun intended?"_ Zoroark snickered.

 _"Shh!"_ I hissed.

Froakie jumped after Fletchling, using its jumping to get higher than it. It used Water Pulse, but missed. It launched several clumps of frubbles, but Fletchling dodged it. Fletchling flew around and, thinking it saw Froakie, dove down with Peck. However, the Froakie was made of frubbles. As Fletchling shook off the frubbles, Froakie attacked with bubble, landing the attack. As Fletchling fell, Ash threw a PokéBall, but after one jostle, it opened and Fletchling escaped. It attacked Froakie with consecutive Air Slashes, but Froakie dodged them. It jumped high in the air, leveling itself with Fletchling, and attacked it with Water Pulse. It hit, and Ash tried again. This time, Ash was successful, and he caught Fletchling.

"All _right_!" Ash cried, punching the PokéBall high in the air. Froakie fell to the ground in exhaustion. "You did great, Froakie. Thank you for your help."

"Froakie's jumping skills have certainly developed. Your teamwork has, too." Clemont said.

"I'm starting to really understand Froakie, now." Ash said. He called out Fletchling. "Hey, Fletchling. From now on, we're gonna be good friends- all of us!"

"And Fletchling, tell me if you get hungry next time! Stealing other people's food is bad." Bonnie said.

Clemont offered Oran Berries to the Pokémon.

"I wonder where that Lilteo went..." Bonnie said, looking around.

"A Lilteo?" Ash said, taking out his Pokédex and searching for that Pokémon's bio.

"Yeah. It sure did help us out." Bonnie said.

"Kind of like... what those Fletchling did yesterday..." Clemont said. He stared at the ground and cupped his chin in his hand.

"What are you thinking about, Clemont?" Ash said.

Clemont snapped out of his thoughts. "Oh, nothing..."

* * *

" _You're taking quite an interest in that Clemont boy._ " Zoroark said.

"Why not? He's very advanced for someone his age." I said.

" _Advanced? He's more like a walking detonator._ " Zoroark snickered.

I rolled my eyes. "An eccentric fourteen-year-old, a walking bag of sugar, and a bomb boy." I chuckled. "This ought to be an interesting adventure."

" _And when will_ you _become a part of it?_ "

My smile fell. "I don't know... I'm still thinking about it. I'll decide when I'm ready." I sighed. "They're moving again. Let's go."


	6. Fool Me Once

_"You've been following them for an awful long time."_ Zoroark said to the Dedenne, the same one we had met earlier today. Bonnie tried to bond with it, but Ash's mischievous Fletching chased it away. At least, that's what the group thought. Zoroark and I perched next to it.

Dedenne cried out in surprise and turned to us. _"Who are you?"_

 _"We're doing the same thing as you- watching those kids."_ I said.

"There! You're all clean, now!" Bonnie said to Pikachu after she finishing wiping his face off with a cloth.

"Thanks, Bonnie." Ash said.

"No problem!"

 _"You really like that little girl, huh?"_ Zoroark said.

 _"Well, she's nice. She seemed like she understood me."_ Dedenne said. Bonnie giggled and twirled Pikachu in the air. Ash called out Fletchling and Bonnie cleaned its wings.

 _"Why don't you go say hi, then? I'm sure they'll be happy to see you."_ I said.

Dedenne hesitated a moment, then it smiled. It scurried away into a bush and peeked over the side of the log the kids were perched on. Bonnie fed Pikachu and Fletchling, and as she handed a food pellet to Pikachu, Dedenne sprinted over, grabbed the food, and munched on it happily.

 _"Well, that's not what I meant..."_ I said, sweatdropping.

While the kids marveled at the returned Pokémon, Bonnie desperately urged Clemont to catch Dedenne. However, Dedenne climbed up the slope and into the trees. Zoroark and I sighed, and we followed after the children. Ash's Fletchling searched from a tree branch.

"Come on, guys, we gotta keep moving!" Bonnie cried, walking backwards. Her foot snagged on a hole, and she cried out as she fell backwards and to the ground.

"Bonnie, are you okay?" Clemont said.

Bonnie recovered and saw Dedenne peeking out of one of the holes in her upside-down view. She tried to catch it, but Dedenne disappeared and reappeared in another nearby hole. Clemont called out Bunnelby, and it and Pikachu climbed into two of the holes to try and chase Dedenne out. Pikachu disappeared into one of the holes, but there was silence after that.

"Where did Pikachu go?" Ash said, peeking into the hole.

Zoroark nudged my wing and pointed to a cliff a ways away. From this height, we could see Pikachu and Dedenne. We flew down to them.

 _"That was an interesting way to say hello."_ I said. _"Why did you do that?"_

 _"What else was I supposed to do? I saw food, and I was hungry."_ Dedenne said.

 _"Oh, I don't know, why not try_ asking _for some food next time? Now look at what you got yourselves into!"_ Zoroark said, extending her wing towards the large cliff next to us. _"How did you get down here anyway?"_

 _"Ask the yellow mouse over here."_ Dedenne said. _"He tackled me, and we tumbled out of that hole on the side of the cliff."_

We turned to Pikachu, but his eyes were transfixed on me and Zoroark.

 _"I recognize... those voices..."_ Pikachu said. He stepped up to me and leaned closer, staring intently at my face. I leaned back uncomfortably.

 _"Uh..."_ I said.

Pikachu's eyes widened, and he stood up straight, his ears perking up.

 _"...Rylee?"_ Pikachu said.

I flinched. Zoroark and I glanced at each other. I bowed my head as I glowed green. Pikachu and Dedenne gasped as I transformed back to my human self. I looked down at Pikachu and gave him a small smile.

" _Rylee!_ " Pikachu grinned and jumped into my arms. I hugged him tightly.

"It's good to see you, too." I said.

" _Whoa... You're human?_ " Dedenne said. " _Then, how come_ you're _following those kids around?_ "

Pikachu lifted his head and looked at me. " _You've been following us?_ "

"Um... yes." I said. "I'm here on a mission."

" _You mean like that_ _Pokémon Guardian thing? Is this how you've remained undetected?_ "

"Yes. I learned the move Impostor while I was training to become a Pokémon Knight, so I'm able to transform into almost every Pokémon there is. I can also do this..." I looked down and watched my body vanish. Pikachu searched in my general area in surprise. I reappeared. "It helps to keep myself hidden. However... I'm doing this, not just because I need to, but because I want to. Ash has grown up a lot since I last saw him. I wonder... about the others." I cleared my throat. "We need to get you two back to the others."

" _No way! I'm outta here!_ " Dedenne cried. I noticed a surge of electricity shoot from its whiskers to Pikachu's before it turned around and ran away.

" _Hey, wait!_ " Zoroark cried.

We ran after Dedenne for a few steps. Pikachu sent back another surge of electricity, and Dedenne stopped. The two Electric-types faced each other, and Zoroark and I watched electricity exchange between their whiskers.

" _Do you know what they're saying?_ " Zoroark whispered.

"No..." I said, surprised. I _couldn't_ understand what they were saying. Perhaps this was a different way of Pokémon conversing with each other. Pikachu and Dedenne seemed to be sending messages through the electricity. I pointed to a nearby path. "We'll find the others together. Maybe if we take that path over there, it'll lead us back up."

Pikachu and Dedenne nodded when a small grumbled pierced the air. Dedenne gripped its stomach.

" _Looks like that little pellet wasn't satisfying enough._ " Zoroark said, perching her Fletchling body on my shoulder. She pointed her beak up. " _There are some berries over there._ "

Pikachu used Thunderbolt to break the stem of the berry. I reached out and caught it.

"Here." I said, crouching down and holding the berry out to Dedenne.

Dedenne accepted it happily and munched on it. Pikachu's ears perked up. I felt my hair grow dry and float from static. I looked up as a net of blue electricity fell towards us.

"Look out!" I cried, gathering up the Pokémon and lunged out of the way. I tumbled against the ground, shielding the Pokémon from harm. I came to a stop and crawled to my feet.

"Prepare for trouble, my prized Pikachu!" a voice cried.

"And make it double, with Dedenne, too!" another said.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me." I said, following the voices to Jessie and James.

"Well, well, if it isn't the Pokémon twerpette." Jessie said.

"Long time, no see." I said. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we'll be on our way."

"Not so fast! We're here for a reason, and Pikachu is the solution!" James said.

"With Dedenne as a bonus gift!" Meowth said.

"That's where you're wrong." I said. "Pikachu, let's go."

Pikachu nodded, and the four of us ran down the path.

"Hey, get back here!" James cried.

Pikachu turned around and used Thunderbolt.

"Wobbuffet, go!" Jessie cried.

Wobbuffet stood in front of Jessie and absorbed the Thunderbolt, launching it back with double power.

"Watch out!" I cried, jumping in front of them and casting Protect. As the Thunderbolt collided with the Protect, I morphed my move into a ball that trapped the electricity inside. I thrust my arms, and the Protect crashed to the ground in front of Team Rocket, causing the Thunderbolt inside to explode. A giant, smoky haze filled the air. "Come on!"

We ran alongside the river. We reached a giant pile of rocks that reached up to the top of the cliff.

" _This way!_ " Pikachu said, climbing up the pile. We followed suit.

"Oh, no, you don't!" Jessie cried. She threw another net at Dedenne. It overjumped, and it flew over the side of the rocks.

"Dedenne!" I cried. Pikachu ran to the edge and grabbed Dedenne's tail with his teeth. I sighed in relief as Pikachu pulled both of them from the edge. "We're almost there. Come on!"

We continued up the rock pile. We reached the top and ran towards the trees.

"Inkay, use Tackle!" I heard James cry. I turned around right as Inkay, Team Rocket's newest addition to the team I presumed, charged at us. It rammed into Dedenne, and it flew across the cliffside.

" _Dedenne! Are you okay?_ " Pikachu said, running to its side.

"Inkay, use Psybeam!" Inkay began to summon the move.

"Zoroark!" I cried. Zoroark-Fletchling flew off my shoulder and zoomed towards Inkay. She rammed into the Pokémon, and the Psybeam hit the ground right in front of Pikachu and Dedenne. The ground broke off and the two Pokémon flew off the cliff and into the river below. I sighed and ran to the cliffside. I jumped off and thrust out my hand, creating a platform of Protect. Zoroark and I landed on it, and we flew down the river after Pikachu and Dedenne.

"Keep your powder dry, Pikachu! You'll be ours in no time!" I looked behind me as Team Rocket chased after us in a rubber raft.

Pikachu and Dedenne grabbed onto a nearby bush, and Team Rocket floated past them. They crashed into a rock, flying high up into the air, and the raft popped. I watched them and the raft fly away, and I rolled my eyes. I scooped up Pikachu and Dedenne into my arms and brought us to land.

"Are you okay?" I said, setting them on the ground.

" _Yeah..._ " Pikachu said. Dedenne groaned and collapsed onto the ground. " _Dedenne!_ "

"Don't worry. I'll help Dedenne." I heard flapping above us, and I looked up and saw Ash's Fletchling. I sent it a telepathic message, _"Go and get Ash!"_

Fletchling nodded and flew back into the forest. I knelt on the ground and carefully rolled Dedenne over on its back. I brought my hands together and formed an orb of Heal Pulse. Gently, I applied the orb to Dedenne's stomach, and I watched it absorb into its skin.

"That will help with its injuries." I said.

"Pikachu!" a voice cried.

I gasped as I turned and saw Ash and his friends running towards us. Quickly, I transformed into a Marill.

"Pikachu, I was so worried about you!" Ash said as the children approached us. Pikachu pointed to Dedenne as it laid on the ground.

"Oh, no, Dedenne!" Bonnie cried. The three kids knelt at Dedenne's side. "What are we gonna do?"

"We should head to a Pokémon Center." Ash said.

"We need to take care of Dedenne first." Clemont said as he examined Dedenne. "Weird. It looks like it was already treated a little before we got here..."

Clemont looked at me. His eyebrows shot up in surprise.

 _What is he thinking?_

"So, what should we do?" Ash said.

"Let's give it some electricity." Clemont said, focusing back on the others.

"How do we do that?"

Clemont chuckled. "Just leave it to me! Remember, the future is now, thanks to science! Clemontic Gear on!"

Clemont pulled out a large device that I wondered how in the world he was able to easily transport.

"I have the perfect machine for this situation! Presenting... my Electricity Generator!" Clemont said.

"Another boring name..." Bonnie said as Ash stared at the device with awe.

Clemont placed Dedenne next to an orb connected to the machine and turned the device on. Two orbs rubbed at a piece of plastic, generating electricity.

"Science is so amazing!" Ash said.

"You sure this is gonna work?" Bonnie skepticized.

"Of course I'm sure. Just watch." Clemont said.

The electricity flowed down to the orb and filled Dedenne with electricity. Dedenne opened its eyes and smiled.

"It worked!" Ash said. "I think you can turn your machine off."

"Um... just one problem..." Clemont said, holding up the lever to the machine. "I can't!"

 _"Oh, boy."_ I said. As the machine leaped around in a malfunctioning mess, Zoroark and I cast Protect, encasing the machine. It exploded, and the children yelped as they braced themselves. The explosion stayed contained inside the Protect. We lifted the Protect into the air and dispelled it, causing the smoke to rise high up into the air. The children opened their eyes and looked around in confusion.

"Where did it go?" Bonnie said.

"I don't know..." Clemont said, glancing at me and Zoroark. We chattered innocently.

Dedenne scurried up to the three children.

"Dedenne, you're all better!" Bonnie said.

" _Yeah!_ " Dedenne said. It turned to Clemont. " _Thank you for the electricity!_ "

Clemont and Bonnie stared at Dedenne in shock.

"Did you... hear that?" Clemont said.

"Yeah!" Bonnie jumped to her feet. "Dedenne just talked!"

"You guys heard that, too, huh?" Ash said. "Strange. I've started hearing Pokémon again since my journey began."

" _Again_? You mean you've been able to understand them before?" Clemont said.

"Well, yeah... Thanks to an old friend of mine..." Ash said. His voice trailed off and he stared at the ground. His face fell blank as he was consumed in thought.

"Remember when that Lilteo helped us out? I could've sworn I heard it speak, too!" Bonnie said. She looked at Dedenne and gasped. "That's right! Clemont, catch it, catch it!"

"Oh, right!" Clemont said, reaching into his pocket.

"Not so fast!" a voice cried as a shadow loomed over us. We looked up and saw the Team Rocket hot air balloon floating over us.

I growled. _"Zoroark."_

 _"Let me help!"_ Dedenne said.

 _"Me, too."_ Pikachu said. The two Electric-types stood at our side.

We nodded, and Zoroark-Fletchling flew up to the sky. It dove down back to us to gain speed, and Dedenne jumped onto Zoroark's back as she passed by. Pikachu and I ran forward. Pikachu jumped in the air, and as he came down, I jumped up and butted my head into his feet, rocketing him towards Team Rocket. Pikachu used Thunderbolt and Dedenne used Thundershock. The combined electricity smacked into the hot air balloon, causing it to explode, and Team Rocket blast off into the sky. Pikachu and Dedenne trotted back to the kids.

"Wow, Pikachu, you did it!" Ash said.

"Dedenne, that was awesome!" Bonnie said.

Clemont kept his eyes on me and Zoroark. I glanced at Zoroark with discomfort. Dedenne turned to Pikachu.

" _Would it be okay if... if I came along with you guys?_ " Dedenne said.

"Really?! Yay!" Bonnie cried. "We'll have _so_ much fun!"

Bonnie grabbed Clemont's arm and shook him, shaking his gaze away from me.

"Come on, Clemont!"

"Right. Okay." Clemont pulled a PokéBall from his pocket and captured Dedenne. Immediately afterward, Clemont called Dedenne back out.

"Hooray!" Bonnie cried, scooping Dedenne into her arms. She introduced herself and her friends. She pulled out a cloth and cleaned the small Pokémon. Pikachu trotted over to Bonnie's side.

"This is awesome! You and Pikachu are gonna have a lot of fun with each other." Ash said.

Dedenne fell asleep, which is what it often does to conserve energy. Bonnie carefully tucked Dedenne into her bag.

"What a cool Pokémon." Ash said, stepping next to Bonnie and crouching down to admire the sleeping Dedenne.

"I know! It's so cute!" Bonnie said, stroking Dedenne's head. "Welcome to the team, Dedenne!"

As the two kids marveled at the tiny Electric-type, Clemont turned around and walked towards me and Zoroark. We tensed as the young boy stood in front of us. His eyes traveled to mine.

"You're the girl..." he said, crouching down. "The one I saw at Prism Tower."

I gasped quietly, taking a step back. I glanced at Zoroark, whose eyes were just as wide with shock as mine. We looked to Clemont and he smiled.

" _How... did you know...?_ " I said, awestruck.

"Your eyes. I've never seen irises like yours before. They're so... different. You were also that Fletchling and Lilteo from before." Clemont said. "Who are you?"

"Clemont! We're heading out!" Ash called.

"I'll catch up with you!" Clemont said over his shoulder. "So, why are you following us?"

I glanced over Clemont's shoulder to ensure that Ash and Bonnie were out of sight before I glowed green. Clemont gasped quietly and watched as I transformed into my human self. Zoroark transformed into a Zorua and sat on my shoulder. Clemont and I stood up.

"My name is Rylee. This is my partner-in-disguise, Zoroark." I said. "I'm an old friend of Ash."

"Oh, so you're the one he spoke about." Clemont said.

"Yes. Listen, maybe you should catch up with your friends-" I glanced past his shoulder again.

"Wait." Clemont grabbed my wrist. I tensed. "I want to learn more about you."

I gently pulled my hand away. "Don't worry. I'll always be close by." I said. I smiled as I turned invisible.

Clemont gasped and looked around. When his back was turned to me, I reappeared. I planted my hands on his shoulders and pushed him forward. Clemont cried out and stumbled. He caught himself and looked back. I smiled and shooed him away. Clemont adjusted his glasses and ran down the path.

"There you are, Clemont!" I heard Bonnie's distant voice as Clemont disappeared behind the rocks. "You're so slow!"

"Sorry..." Clemont said.

" _You don't want to reveal yourself to Ash, but..._ " Zoroark said. " _Why to him?_ "

I remained silent as I turned invisible and walked down the path.


	7. Gym Battle Blunder

Ash, Bonnie, and Clemont ran through the streets of Santalune City. I followed them, but I was invisible instead of a Pokémon.

"S-slow down, guys!" Clemont panted. His foot snagged the sidewalk crack, and he tripped and fell.

"Clemont, hurry up!" Ash called over his shoulder.

"Ash, do you even know where the Santalune Gym is?"

"Uh... No." Bonnie and Clemont stared at Ash in disbelief. He jumped onto the fountain edge. "But that's one thing about me- if I keep running around, I'm bound to find what I'm looking for eventually! It's been working out well for me so far."

I rolled my eyes and shoved Ash into the fountain. He cried out and landed with a splash. He sat up and spit out a mouthful of water in time with the fountain's geysers.

"Ash, you're so clumsy!" Bonnie pouted.

"What _was_ that?" Ash said, looking around. "I could've sworn someone pushed me."

"Maybe that was karma telling you how foolish it is to aimlessly search for the Santalune Gym." Clemont chuckled as he stood up.

"Thanks for the great pics." a voice said. A woman with green eyes and blonde hair approached the group. She wore a white tank top, green cargo pants, a white belt, black boots, and a large camera hanging from her neck. She looked at Ash and Pikachu. "The two of you seem to have the makings of a great team. Although... I do advise you work on your balance."

"Uh... thanks." Ash said.

"If you're looking for the Santalune Gym, make a right at that corner over there."

"Great! Thanks!" Ash said. He turned to Bonnie and Clemont. "See? Works out well in the end!"

Bonnie and Clemont glanced at each other before they sighed. Bonnie ran ahead, and Clemont strolled down the streets.

"Has Ash always been like this?" Clemont said, gripping his backpack straps.

I became visible and walked alongside him. "Yup. Ash and I traveled together when we were in the Unova region. He's a spunky kid, that's for sure."

"Unova, huh? So, this is your first time out of the region?"

"Yeah... but I'm not here on vacation. I have a mission to take care of."

"Mission? What are you talking about?"

"I'm what's called a Pokémon Guardian. I act as a balance between people and Pokémon, and I provide aid and protection to them. Recently, my brother and I earned the highest rank, a Pokémon Knight. In this position, we're assigned on missions, where we're tasked with stopping bad guys."

"What's your mission?"

"Every region has a secret, evil crime syndicate lurking beneath. Team Rocket, those weirdos you've encountered a few times already, is a crime syndicate in the Kanto region. However, the three you've seen are obsessed with capturing Ash's Pikachu for some reason. Honestly, they're quite a nuisance most of the time. In the Kalos region, the crime syndicate residing here is called Team Flare. I don't know what they're planning, but I've dealt with enough crime syndicates to know that it's not good." I said.

Clemont nodded. "What was your Unova journey like?"

I paused in my walking. Clemont stopped a step ahead of me and turned around. I bowed my head.

"It was... wonderful..." I whispered as I turned invisible. "Let's catch up with the others."

A tear rolled down my cheek. It hit the ground, and Clemont saw it splatter. He looked back at the general area of my face with a confused, yet saddened, expression before he turned around and jogged to catch up with the others. I sighed and continued walking.

* * *

"We made it!" Ash said as the three kids stood in front of the Santalune Gym.

"Now, if I remember correctly, the Santalune Gym specializes in Bug-type Pokémon." Clemont said.

"I can't wait to go inside!" Bonnie said. "It's gonna be fun!"

"Heeeey!" Ash called as he headed towards the staircase. "I want to challenge the Santalune Gym!"

The doors slid open, and Helioptile leaped down the stairs and landed in Ash's face. Ash's, caught off guard, fell to the ground.

"Welcome, Ash!" Alexa climbed down the steps. Helioptile climbed onto her shoulder. "It's nice to see you again!"

"Hey, Alexa! I didn't know you were here!" Ash said, standing up.

"I finished my reporting and I figured you'd be here soon, so I waited." Alexa shifted her eyes to Bonnie and Clemont. "Are these your new friends?"

"Yup. I met them in Lumiose City. This is Bonnie and Clemont. Guys, this is Alexa. She's a Pokémon journalist."

"The Gym Leader leader here is my younger sister, Viola."

"That's me!" The kids turned around and saw the woman that they met at the fountain.

" _You're_ Alexa's sister?" Ash said.

"I take it you've already met." Alexa said.

"Right, at the fountain. Alexa said that you wanted to challenge me while I was gone." Viola said.

"I still do! How about it?" Ash said.

"Sure! Please, come inside."

* * *

We entered the Gym. Many framed pictures lined the hallways.

"You took all of these pictures?" Ash said.

"Yup. But these are just a few of the ones I've taken." Viola said.

"She's got quite a talent for photographing Bug-types. She even helps me out with my reporting from time to time." Alexa said.

"This is great work. It really captures the love you have for your subjects." Clemont said, studying a picture of flowers.

"Sure does! You can see how much you care about Bug-types! Viola, you're a keeper!" Bonnie got down on one knee in front of Viola. "Please take care of my brother!"

"...What?" Alexa said.

" _Bonnie_! I told you to stop this a million times!" Clemont cried, his face bright red.

"You know you need someone to take care of you! I think Viola would make you a nice wife!"

"Wife?!" Viola said.

 _"Wife?"_ Zoroark giggled on my shoulder.

"Bonnie, enough!" Clemont said. He activated his Aipom Arm and pulled Bonnie away from Viola. "Would you please just mind your own business?!"

"I hope you'll consider it, Viola!" Bonnie giggled as the siblings exited the room. I headed towards the door.

 _"Um... Ash is still in here."_ Zoroark said, tugging on my ear.

 _"Oh. Right."_ I said, stopping and turning back to Ash.

"So, how about that battle, Ash?" Viola said.

"Right! Let's do it!" Ash said.

* * *

Ash and Viola stood on opposite sides of the battlefield. Around us, the walls were thick with trees and plants. Alexa, Bonnie, Clemont, and I stood respectively on the sidelines.

"The Gym battle between Ash, the challenger, and Viola, the Santalune Gym Leader, will now begin! Each side will have the use of two Pokémon, and the battle will be over when either trainer's Pokémon are unable to continue! Only the challenger may substitute Pokémon." the referee said.

Viola called out Surskit, and Ash called out Pikachu.

"Now, battle BEGIN!" the referee cried.

The battle ensued. Pikachu charged with Quick Attack, but Surskit used Protect to block the attack. Pikachu rammed with into it, but quickly recovered. Pikachu ran around and attacked with Iron Tail, but Surskit dodged it. Surskit zoomed around Pikachu. Pikachu used Electro Ball, and Surskit used Ice Beam to cancel it out.

"Whoa..." Bonnie said.

"My sister is very strong." Alexa said. "Defeating her will be no easy task."

Surskit used Ice Beam on the ground, encasing the entire field in a layer of ice. Surskit glided along the ice while Pikachu struggled to keep his balance. As Surskit charged, Pikachu slapped it away with Iron Tail. Surskit used Ice Beam and Pikachu used Thunderbolt. The force of the cancellation made Pikachu fly back to the ground. As Pikachu laid on the ground, Surskit used Signal Beam, landing a direct hit. Pikachu fell to the ground, unconscious.

" _Whoa..._ " I said. " _Viola is tough..._ "

"Ash is in serious trouble." Clemont said. "The battle's just barely started and he already only has one Pokémon left."

Ash handed Pikachu to Clemont and called out Fletchling. The door opened, and a girl entered the room. She had blue eyes and long, honey-colored hair tied back in a low ponytail, with some hanging around her face and over her shoulders. She wore a black, sleeveless shirt with a white collar, tucked inside a red skirt, thigh-high black socks, and black shoes. She wore a pink hat with a black bow and a pink backpack.

I nudged Clemont, and he looked over at the girl.

"Who's that?" he said, making it seem like he was talking to the others. Bonnie and Alexa looked over as the girl ran towards the battlefield.

"Can we help you?" Alexa said.

The girl stopped and looked over at us, slightly embarrassed. "Would it... be okay if I watched the battle?"

"Of course. You can watch it with us."

"Thanks!" The girl jogged over to us. I stepped out of the way as she stood in my spot, accidentally bumping into her.

Images flooded my mind. I saw a younger version of herself walking through a forest. She panted deeply, nearly on the verge of hyperventilation.

 _"Where is everybody? Where did you all go?!"_ she cried.

The bushes near her rustled, and she gasped. She turned to run, but she snagged her foot on a root and fell. A Poliwag jumped out of the bush and scurried away.

 _"I knew I didn't want to come to camp. I knew it!"_ the girl said as tears started to pour down her cheeks. _"Mommy!"_

The bushes next to her rustled, and she stared at them in pure fright.

 _"Poliwag?"_ A young Ash emerged from the bushes. _"Hey, are you all right? Hi, I'm Ash. Who are you? What's wrong?"_

 _"I... hurt my leg."_ the girl said, referring to the scrape on her knee.

 _"Don't worry. See this? This'll make it better!"_ Ash pulled out a white bandana and tied it around the girl's knee. Ash then started to wave his hands over the girl's knee like a magician. _"Now, watch this. Feel better, feel better, right away!"_

 _"It still hurts. I can't stand up."_

 _"Don't give up 'til it's over, 'kay?"_ Ash held out his hand to the girl and helped her stand. _"I think we should be getting back to the campsite. C'mon!"_

The images faded.

"Sorry." the girl said to Clemont, thinking she bumped into him.

"Um... it's okay?" Clemont said.

 _So... a childhood friend of Ash._ I thought. _Interesting..._

Surskit had been defeated, and Viola called out Vivillon. Vivillon trapped Fletchling in its Sticky Web and cast Solar Beam on it. Fletchling fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Whoa... Ash lost..." Bonnie said.

We approached him, and Clemont handed Pikachu to Ash.

"We need to get to a Pokémon Center. That battle took a lot out of them." Clemont said.

Ash looked down at his injured Pokémon with shaking eyes. He turned back to Viola.

"I'll be back, and when I do, I'll win for sure!" Ash said.

"I'm looking forward to that. Come back anytime." Viola said.

"Let's go." Ash and his friends ran through the doors, past the girl and Alexa.

* * *

"Please, Nurse Joy, take care of my Pokémon." Ash said as Wigglytuff carried Fletchling and Pikachu away on a cart.

"Don't worry, Ash. They'll be all better in no time." Nurse Joy said.

We waited outside on the patio. Bonnie played with Dedenne, and Ash sat across the battlefield from us, hidden in the shadow of the trees.

"Ash is really taking this loss hard." Clemont said, seated at a patio table.

"Yeah..." I said quietly, careful to keep my voice out of Bonnie's ears. I sat in the chair next to him. "So... What was that whole episode with Bonnie and Viola?"

Clemont's face went bright red again. "It's nothing! Bonnie's trying to play matchmaker for me and find me a wife. That's the big reason why she's even traveling with us. It's so embarrassing! I'm fifteen, for crying out loud! I don't have to worry about marriage for, like, ten years!"

I chuckled. "I think she's just looking out for you. I know she wants the best for you."

Clemont sighed. "I know... But she doesn't have to be so... _annoying_ about it." Clemont looked in my general direction. "Um... I'm sorry if what I said earlier may have hit a nerve."

"It's all right..." I said. I glanced over at Ash. I saw the girl from the gym approach him, holding his backpack in her hands.

"So, tell me about yourself."

"Well... I live in the Unova region with my parents and my older brother, N. I have an adoptive sister named Alyssa. In fact, she's the very same person you met back at Professor Sycamore's lab."

"His assistant? Really?" Clemont said. "Ash did seem like he knew her. There was another one who looked like her, right?"

"His name is Colress, and he's her older brother. He was once a scientist for Team Plasma, the crime syndicate that resided in Unova. Both of them have really changed in the past two years, and I'm grateful for that." I said. "My father is a Pokémon Knight, too. I inherited my powers from him. He and I have true Pokémon forms. His is Reshiram, and mine is Celebi."

"Legendary Pokémon? Wow. Having that much power must be exciting, huh?"

"Yes, but... I can't just use it all willy-nilly. I have to be careful about my powers. During my Unova journey, my friends and I ended up right in the middle of Team Plasma's shenanigans. Colress invented a Pokémon control device so Team Plasma could control my father and use him for their destructive desires. The only way I could snap him out of it was to fight him. I succeeded... but it almost came at the cost of my life. But the end of my journey... came at the cost of... everything."

Clemont's eyes looked at my invisible face thoughtfully.

"What... happened?" he said, hesitating from the risk of offending me with his question. He had picked up on my tone's gradual descent to sadness.

I bowed my head.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." Clemont said, sensing my speechlessness. "I'm sorry for asking."

"It's all right. You're curious. Maybe I'll talk about it later."

"All right..." Clemont paused for a moment before he stood up and joined with the others.


	8. Busted on Both Ends

After a long day of training, Ash battled against Viola the next day. This time, he won, and he earned the Bug Badge. The next Gym in his sights was the Cyllage City Gym. Ash's childhood friend, named Serena, joined our group. In order to get to Cyllage City, we had to travel back through Lumiose City. We trekked through Rhyhorn races, Furfrou styling, and Team Rocket ambushes.

It was an interesting last couple of days.

But we had made it back to Lumiose City.

"What a beautiful place!" Serena cried. "The last time I was here, I wasn't able to look around, but this city must be the center of the fashion universe! All the people are so well-dressed! Prism Tower looks just incredible!"

"Yeah, it sure is." Clemont said.

"I guess it's okay." Bonnie said, unenthused.

"The Lumiose Gym is inside the Tower." Ash said.

"Oh, so you already challenged the Gym?" Serena said.

"Well... I showed up there and tried to, but... it kind of threw me out of the building. Literally." Ash said. "I didn't have four badges, so it didn't let me in."

"Well, since that's the way it is here, why don't we get outta Lumiose City?" Clemont said quickly.

"Let's get going!" Bonnie said.

"But I want to explore the city!" Serena said.

"We can do that stuff next time!"

 _"They're hiding something."_ Zoroark said.

 _"What gave it away?"_ I said, watching Bonnie and Clemont try and drag Ash and Serena down the street.

"Well, if it isn't my Clemont and Bonnie!" a voice said. The siblings cried out.

"Dad!" Bonnie and Clemont cried.

We turned around and saw a man and an Ampharos on a motorcycle. The man had brown hair, brown eyes, a beard, and he wore a black shirt, a green hat, and gray overalls. He and his Ampharos both wore helmets.

"Dad?" Ash said.

The man and Ampharos got off the motorcycle and stood next to Bonnie and Clemont.

"I'm Meyer. I run an electronic shop in the city along with Ampharos." the man said. Ampharos trilled.

"We met these guys a while back. They're our good friends!" Bonnie said, gesturing to the Serena and Ash.

Meyer stumbled back in shock. "Your friends...?!" he said. The four kids stared at him in confusion. Animated tears streamed down his cheeks, and he wrapped his arms around his children. "I'm so overcome with happiness!"

"It's nice to meet you, Meyer. My name is Ash." Ash said.

"Oh, a Pikachu! Nice electric-looking cheeks!" Meyer said, scratching Pikachu's chin. He looked to Serena. "Who's this young lady?"

"I'm Serena." she said.

"Oh, so Clemont's finally found himself a beautiful girlfriend!" Meyer said, nudging Clemont with a cheeky grin. "Gotta keep an eye on you, eh?"

I let out a loud laugh, then immediately covered my mouth. Clemont's face grew bright red.

"Dad! It's not like that!" Clemont stuttered.

"Dad, this is Dedenne!" Bonnie said, holding up the tiny Pokémon to her father.

"Ah, another Electric-type!" Meyer said. He turned to Clemont, putting on a stern face. "Clemont..."

Clemont turned away, but Meyer walked around and glared at him with his hands on his hips.

"You should come to the house more often!"

"B-but, Dad, you see..." Clemont said.

"What? Is there some reason you haven't come around?"

Clemont cried out, speechless with nerves.

"Well, Daddy, we've got things to do, so bye for now!" Bonnie interjected, grabbing Clemont's hand and yanking him away from the situation.

"Wait, Clemont!" Meyer said. "I know I've told you this before. It's true you need to be tough on challengers, but that alone isn't going to help them become better trainers. You need to be a Gym Leader the Lumiose City Gym can be proud of."

 _"Whoa,_ what _?"_ Zoroark said. _"Pause. Rewind. Play."_

 _"Gym Leader?"_ I said.

"See you soon!" Meyer casually said, hopping back on his motorcycle and driving off while his kids had panic attacks.

Bonnie and Clemont slowly turned around and faced Serena and Ash's glares.

"All right, what's going on?!" Ash said.

Clemont stumbled back and sighed. "The truth is... I'm the Gym Leader of the Lumiose City Gym."

"Why didn't you just tell us?"

Clemont led us to the fountain in the city square, and he sat down. "I planned on telling you eventually. I'm sorry." Clemont bowed his head. "You see, I was so busy as a Gym Leader, I never had the time to invent things like I wanted to, so I decided to construct a Gym Leader robot, which I named Clembot, who could help me fulfill my Gym Leader responsibilities and give me more time. However... my robot backfired on me, and I got kicked out of my own Gym. I keep on trying, but Clembot won't let anybody without four Gym badges through the entrance." Clemont sighed.

"Why don't we go back there together and see what we can do?" Ash said.

"Well, we can try..." Clemont said skeptically.

* * *

We headed back to Prism Tower, which was loitered with angry challengers muttering to themselves.

"Is there something wrong?" Clemont said to one of the challengers.

"You bet there is. It's this Gym!" the boy said.

"Did they say you need four badges to challenge?"

"Yeah, but that wasn't any problem because I already _have_ four. My opponent was this crazed, powerful robot. After I lost, it zapped me, the floor opened up, and I was thrown out of there!"

 _"One of Clemont's inventions goes horribly wrong?"_ Zoroark said, rolling her eyes. _"Shocker."_

 _"Hey. Be nice."_ I said.

The challenger stomped away, declaring that they would never come here again.

Clemont sighed. "Being tough alone won't help trainers get better..." he said.

"Now I know what Daddy was talking about." Bonnie said.

"Now what will you do?" Serena asked Clemont. Clemont stared at the ground with no answer.

"It's simple, isn't it? We'll just stop that crazy robot!" Ash said.

"But how?" Clemont said. "We can't figure out the voice recognition that I gave it."

"Try to relax and think carefully." Serena said.

"Even if I remember the password, I still have to defeat it in battle!"

"You won't know unless you give it a try!" Ash said.

"No way! Clembot will have all of my Pokémon partners to battle me with! I can't win with my inexperienced Bunnelby!" Clemont cried, digging his hands into his hair.

"Maybe you can't win, but you can give it your best shot!" Ash said. Clemont paused and looked up at Ash. Ash adjusted his hat. "I don't know much about robots, but since you made Clembot in the first place, maybe you'll come to understand each other in battle."

"Clemont, why did you become a Gym Leader in the first place?" Serena said.

"Not sure how to explain..." Clemont said, lowering his eyes to the ground.

"I will! In Lumiose City, they call my brother 'The Boy Genius of Electric-Types!'" Bonnie said.

"I wanted to be an Electric-type trainer like the world had never seen, so I became the Lumiose City Gym Leader. By running an Electric-type Gym, challengers would plan their strategies accordingly. I figured if I could win, in spite of stiff competition, perhaps it would make me grow a lot stronger as an Electric-type trainer." Clemont said as he looked up at Prism Tower.

"All the more reason why you need to get your Gym back!" Serena said.

"She's right! Taking back this Gym is gonna help you grow stronger! And we'll help!" Ash said.

Clemont smiled. "You're right! Let's go see Clembot!"

* * *

Clemont led us to an opening in the Gym covered with blankets.

"If we can make it to the battlefield, Clembot will recognize us as challengers." Clemont said, the other three kids running ahead of them. "Are you coming with us, Rylee?"

"Are you kidding me? Planning a heist to overthrowing a power-crazed robot?" I said, turning visible. "Heck yeah!"

Clemont smiled. "All right, but in order to get to the battlefield, there may be some crevasses that only kids like me and the others can go through."

"No problem." Zoroark and I glowed, and we transformed into Joltiks. We jumped up and latched onto Clemont's back, turning invisible again. " _Lead the way._ "

Clemont and the others ran through the empty hallways. Clemont opened up an air vent and the kids climbed through and jumped out, landing on the other side.

"We don't have much farther to go before we get to the battlefield." Clemont said.

We heard a warble, and we turned and looked down the hallway. A Magnemite flew towards us.

"That's my Pokémon!" Clemont said. He put on a big smile and walked towards Magnemite. "Magnemite, it's me!"

Magnemite stared at Clemont. For a brief moment, it chirped with glee, but in the next, it growled and shot Thundershock at the kids. They sprinted down the hallway with Magnemite and its beam of electricity right behind them.

"Why is it attacking us?!" Ash said. "It's your Pokémon, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but because Clembot is now the Gym Leader, I would guess it ordered Magnemite to get rid of any intruders!" Clemont said.

" _Keep going._ " Zoroark said. It hopped off Clemont and onto the ground. " _I got you covered._ "

"Are you sure?" Clemont said.

" _Yeah. This'll be fun!_ "

" _She knows what she's doing._ " I said, tightening my grip on Clemont's jumpsuit. I glanced back as Zoroark glowed magenta and changed back to her original self. She looked back and shot me a thumbs-up as she glowed with darkness, preparing to use Night Daze.

We turned a corner and ran into a Magneton. It shot Thunderbolt at us. Jumping up onto Clemont's shoulder, I shot Hyper Beam. I canceled out Magneton's move and, with plenty of Hyper Beam left, made a direct hit. Magneton fell to the ground. Zoroark jumped to my side, in Joltik form again.

"Where did that come from?" Serena said.

"Save that for a time when we're not being chased by Electric-types!" Clemont said, taking off down the hallway again.

We entered the battlefield, which was very dark. I changed back into my original self, and Zoroark switched back to a Zorua before we went invisible again. As we progressed deeper into it, a single spotlight turn on, shining over Clembot.

"Welcome to the Lumiose Gym." Clembot said. The lights turned on.

"It's you!" Clemont said. He scowled. "Clembot, activate Master Recognition Battle mode!"

"First, voice code will be needed for recognition and activation."

"Come on, Clemont..." Bonnie said, gripping Serena's hand.

"There must be some way you can remember!" Serena said.

Clemont stared intently at Clembot, hoping that its appearance could surface any memories.

 _Surface memories... I wonder..._

I stepped beside Clemont and placed my hand on his shoulder. Images flooded into my mind, and I tightened my grip, transferring them to Clemont's mind.

"The voice code is, 'You can start today! I'm Clemont, the Gym Leader!'" Clemont said. He gasped quietly.

Clembot's eyes flashed blue. "Voice code recognized. Master Battle mode activated."

The other kids and I stood on the sidelines. Standing this close to Ash, but him not being able to see me made me feel uncomfortable and nervous. I made sure to keep a small space between us to avoid bumping into him. Could he feel my presence, or did he mistake it for Serena or Bonnie? Clemont and Clembot stood on opposite sides of the battlefield; Clemont called out Bunnelby and Clembot called out Heliolisk. Heliolisk chattered happily and danced at the sight of Clemont.

"My reputation as a Gym Leader is resting on this battle." Clemont said, adjusting his glasses. "Heliolisk! Give it all you got!"

"Heliolisk, Thunderbolt!"

"Bunnelby, use your ears to defend!"

Heliolisk shot volts of Thunderbolt at Bunnelby. Bunnelby stabbed its ears into the ground and flung a mound of dirt into the air. The dirt and the Thunderbolt collided.

"Bunnelby, Double Slap!"

"Use Dragon Tail!"

They charged at each other. Bunnelby blocked Heliolisk's Dragon Tail with his first Double Slap, then circled around and smacked its ears into its back, sending Heliolisk to the ground.

"Now, Bunnelby, use Dig!" Bunnelby used its ears to dig deep into the ground.

"Use Bulldoze!" Clemont gasped. Heliolisk pounded its foot into the ground, causing the ground to shake. Bunnelby was forced out of the ground.

"Hold on! I never taught Heliolisk that move!" Clemont said.

"Use Dragon Tail." Heliolisk jumped up and smacked its tail into Bunnelby, sending it to the ground. After tumbling a few times, Bunnelby caught itself with its ears and swung back onto its feet.

"Bunnelby, are you okay?" Clemont said. He pushed his glasses up with a determined scowl. "Okay, now it's our turn! Bunnelby, use Double Team!"

Bunnelby jumped into the air and created countless copies of its self that surrounded Heliolisk.

"Bunnelby, Mudshot!"

"Parabolic Charge!"

Heliolisk extended its orange frilled collar and roared, unleashing a barrage of electricity into the air. It formed into a ball, and electricity extended to all corners of the room. It phased through the Bunnelby copies, making them disappear, and hit the real Bunnelby. Heliolisk glowed green as it recovered energy, then dispelled the electricity and tucked away its frills. Bunnelby fell to the ground, but jumped back onto its feet again.

"Use Thunderbolt!"

"Now, Bunnelby, Dig!" Bunnelby dug back into the ground and dodged the attack.

"Use Bulldoze!"

"Not this time!" Clemont said. "If there's one thing I've learned from Ash, it's thinking outside the box! Bunnelby, use Double Team while still in the ground!"

Heliolisk used Bulldoze, and a flurry of Bunnelby flew out of the hole.

"Now, use Dig!"

"Parabolic Charge!"

Heliolisk got rid of the copies once again, but the real Bunnelby wasn't there anymore. The ground exploded underneath Heliolisk, and Bunnelby rammed into it, sending it up into the air.

"Let's finish this up! Bunnelby, use Mudshot!"

Bunnelby formed a cluster of six Mudshots and threw them at Heliolisk, creating a dense cloud of smog. Heliolisk fell out of it and onto the ground, unconscious.

"Hooray, Clemont!" Bonnie cried, hugging Dedenne tightly.

"You did great!" Serena said.

Clemont hurried to Heliolisk to make sure it was okay. Clembot approached Clemont.

"I recognize you now, sir. Welcome back to the Lumiose Gym." Clembot said.

"I'm glad to be back, Clembot." Clemont said with a relieved smile. He stood up. "Because of my faulty programming, I realized I made a lot of trouble for you, too. It's all my fault. I'm sorry. I think I'll work on reprogramming you right now!"

* * *

After reprogramming Clembot, we returned to the battlefield.

"I've learned so much from all of you, and I want to keep on learning. Right, Clembot?" Clemont said.

"Well put, sir." Clembot said. Clemont chuckled sheepishly.

"I wanna keep learning with you!" Ash said, throwing his arm around Clemont's shoulders.

"Me, too!" Bonnie giggled.

Clemont smiled for a few moments before it faded into a determined scowl. He stood up straight.

"Now, there's only one thing left to do..." he said, taking a deep breath. Bonnie sensed the meaning behind her brother's words and tensed.

* * *

"WHAT?! Your robot kicked you out of your own gym?!" Meyer cried after Clemont explained everything. The electronics around us rattled from his booming voice.

"Daddy, wait until you hear the end!" Bonnie said.

"That's how it was before, but everything's all right now!" Clemont said as Clembot bowed repeatedly. "It's okay to leave it to Clembot to run the Gym."

"Well, I sure hope so." Meyer said. "So, does that mean you'll be coming by the house more often?"

"Visit? Well, you see, the thing is..."

"Is there some kind of problem?" Meyer hovered extremely close to Clemont, who gulped and leaned back, fumbling with his thumbs.

"Just tell him, Clemont!" Bonnie said.

Clemont sighed and clenched his fist. "I'm... going on a journey! Since I met Ash, I've been gaining more and more courage the longer I travel with him!"

"Courage, huh?"

"That's right. I've always been afraid to find the courage to try out new things, but now I'm feeling completely different! It's only been for a short time, but I get it: I've experienced so much, so quickly. I've had fun, I've been sad, I've been happy and scared... That may not sound like such a big deal, but I've been getting in touch with myself, and that's really, really important to me! Even if it's only until Ash gets to the Kalos League, it's really important that I travel with him there."

"Daddy, I wanna go with Clemont, too." Bonnie said. Meyer bowed his head and crossed his arms. "Please, Daddy? Pleeease?"

"I'll watch over Bonnie, I promise." Serena said.

"We both promise!" Ash said.

"I give you my word that I will take care of the Gym and help out with the house as well." Clembot said.

"I'm just so... I'm just so...!" Meyer said. He lifted his head with a big smile and grasped Clemont's shoulders. "I'm just so happy for you both! What a joy to have such great kids! I know I've told you this before, but the most important thing in the world is to have great friends. As long as you have great friends like Ash and Serena, I'm not worried about a thing. You can go. Ash, Serena, take care of my kids, all right?"

"Of course!" the two said.

* * *

While the kids were downstairs getting ready for bed, I sat at the open window sill in Clemont's room, my feet dangling over the edge. I leaned back on my hands and looked up at the glowing Prism Tower, which illuminated the night sky and competed with the stars and moon.

"What a bright city." I said.

" _Yeah..._ " Zoroark said, sitting at my side as a Zorua.

"Shouldn't you be getting ready for bed, too?" I turned around as Clemont entered the room, dressed in blue-and-white striped nightgown and a matching nightcap. He set his glasses down on the small stand next to his bed and rubbed his eyes as he walked over to my side.

"I'll do that later. I'm enjoying this view." I said. "It must be great to have this outside your house every night."

"If I must admit, having lived in this house for so long, I've grown used to seeing it." Clemont said. "So, what happened today? You put your hand on my shoulder, then all of a sudden I saw a memory of me programming Clembot. That's how I remembered the passcode. What did you do?"

"It's one of my powers. I have the ability to tap into people's memories; physical contact is one of the ways. I helped to surface the memory of you first programming Clembot so you could remember what the voice recognition passcode was."

"Oh. Thanks."

I nodded. "Not only can I look into people's memories, but I can have others look into mine." I said. "In fact..."

I turned to Clemont, reached out, and rested my hand against his shoulder. Images flowed into both of our minds of accounts of my Unova journey. I showed Clemont many of the battles I experienced and the ones I watched Ash experience, including saving the Legendary Trio at Milos Island and stopping Team Rocket's Nimbasa Underground Subway heist.

"Wow..." Clemont said as the memories continued to play. "You had quite the adventure. I worry that Kalos won't be as exhilarating."

I laughed out loud. The memory changed.

And I saw his face.

I gasped and pulled my hand away, but him and his smile lingered in my mind.

"Who... was that?" Clemont said, having seen him, too.

I turned away and hugged my arms. "No one."

The door swung open and I turned invisible. Ash entered, stretching with a big yawn.

"Tomorrow, we head out to Cyllage City! The sooner we get to bed, the sooner we can wake up and go!" Ash said. He flopped onto the bed set up for him. "You heading to bed, Clemont?"

Clemont glanced back and stared back at my face. However, not knowing I was still there, he furrowed his eyebrows and turned back around.

"Yeah." he said. He climbed into his bed and turned off the light.

Zoroark nudged my elbow. I picked her up, closed the window, and crept out of the room. I glanced back at Clemont before closing the door.

" _A smart, strategic young boy traveling with Ash to expand more on his interests..._ " Zoroark said. " _Rylee..._ "

Her voice trailed off. I rested my hand on the doorknob to Bonnie's room, where she and Serena were spending the night. I quietly opened the door and went inside. I laid next to the bed and used a stuffed animal for a pillow. I hugged it as tightly as I could and buried my face into its soft, fake fur as I fell asleep.


	9. Mega Madness

The next morning, the kids decided to visit Professor Sycamore before heading to Cyllage City.

"So, you're all traveling together now, eh? Sounds like a great plan!" Sycamore said.

"Thanks!" Ash said.

"Professor, here! I baked delicious macarons for everyone!" Serena said, holding up a small wicker basket filled with the different colored pastries.

"How nice!" Alyssa said, turning around from a computer with many screens filled with data. "I suggest we have a little tea break with those macarons."

"I still have a little work to do, so I'll have mine later." Sycamore said.

"Will you let us see what you're working on?" Serena said.

"Of course! Make yourself at home."

"The lounge is down this hallway, third door to the left." Alyssa said. "I'll go prepare the tea."

"Thanks, Alyssa!" Ash said as he, Serena, and Bonnie headed to the lounge.

Clemont, however, lingered and nervously clutched his backpack straps.

"Alyssa?" Clemont said.

"Yes?" Alyssa said, turning to the boy.

"Rylee told me about you. I know that you're really her sister and Colress is your brother."

Alyssa smiled and placed her hands on her hips. "She did, did she? If my assumptions are correct, she's still in here, huh?"

"Um..." Clemont said. I crossed my arms and turned visible between Clemont and Alyssa. "Yes."

"I thought you said you'd join Ash." Alyssa said, raising an eyebrow at me.

"I'm still thinking about it."

Alyssa rolled her eyes. "Very well." She winked at Clemont. "Make sure she doesn't tell you all her secrets."

I scowled as I watched Alyssa walked down the hallway.

"Sisters..." I mumbled. I turned to Clemont, who stared at me thoughtfully. "Come on, the others are waiting."

Clemont nodded absently and walked ahead of me.

" _I wonder if there are any secrets you_ haven't _told him..._ " Zoroark said.

"Shut up." I said before turning invisible and walking towards the lounge.

* * *

Alyssa set down the cups of tea. "Here you go!"

"Thanks, Alyssa!" Ash said.

"Wait a minute..." Serena said, looking around. "Where are the macarons? I could've sworn I put them here."

The basket was absent from the table. As the kids glanced around, they heard crunching and the smacking of lips. Alyssa walked around the couch.

"Aha! I knew it was you, Chespin!" she said, crouching down behind a plant. A Chespin snacked ferociously on the macarons. It choked in surprise and turned around with a guilty smile. "Sneaking around again?"

"So, that's Chespin?" Ash said as the other kids gathered around Chespin.

"It's one of three Pokémon new trainers can choose from."

"Awesome!" Ash said, pulling out his Pokédex.

"What a cute Pokémon!" Bonnie said, crawling closer to the plant.

"If you wanted macarons, you should've just said so." Clemont said. He held his hand out to Chespin. "Why don't you share?"

Chespin growled and shoved one of its spikes into Clemont's hand. Clemont cried out and stumbled back, clutching his hand. Shoving as many macarons as it could into its mouth and arms, Chespin took off down the hallway.

"I'm so sorry..." Alyssa said, picking up the leftover macaron basket and handing it to Serena. "Chespin is a bit of a prankster."

"It's fine. Since we've all gotten a bit of rest, why don't we go see what the professor is doing?" Serena said.

"Yeah!" Bonnie said.

Clemont stared down the hallway Chespin escaped to while the other kids filed out of the room.

"Are you okay?" I said.

"Uh, yeah... But my hand really hurts." Clemont said, clutching his injured hand.

"Let me see." I took Clemont's hand and held it out. There was a small puncture wound, and blood trickled out of it. "Yikes. Chespin really got you."

"It's nothing..." Clemont looked away.

"Yeah, and an infection is nothing, too. Here." I held out my other hand, and a ball of orange and pink power formed. Clemont watched with awe as I took the Heal Pulse orb and pressed it against his wound, laying my hand on top of his. I pulled away, and the wound closed and healed. "There."

Clemont held his hand to his face. "Wow. Thanks."

I smiled. "It's no big deal."

"Having all those powers must be so cool." Clemont flashed a big grin at me. "You're really awesome, Rylee."

I smiled tepidly and helped Clemont stand up. "Thanks. Let's go."

* * *

As Clemont and Ash snacked more on the macarons that weren't eaten by Chespin, their brunch was interrupted by a loud crash from somewhere in the lab.

"What the-?!" Ash said.

"What happened?" Clemont said, and the two boys stood up.

"Let's go check it out." Alyssa said. The three ran out of the lounge and into the hallway.

"Alyssa!" Colress ran out of the Pokémon habitat and towards us. "It's the Professor!"

"What? What happened?!" Alyssa said.

"These people came crashing into the habitat and kidnapped him! One of them was a talking Meowth!"

"Talking Meowth?"

"Team Rocket!" Ash growled. "Where are Serena and Bonnie?"

We ran out of the giant, gaping hole in the habitat and to the outside, where Chespin laid on the road. It climbed to its feet and chattered frantically at us.

"Chespin, calm down! Do you know where the Professor went?"

" _There!_ " Chespin flailed its arm at the black Team Rocket van that disappeared down the road. " _They took those two girls, too!_ "

"Oh, no, Bonnie!" Clemont said.

Ash called out Fletchling and sent it after Team Rocket's van. Alyssa and Colress hurried to go and alert Officer Jenny. Chespin lifted its nose to the air and inhaled deeply. It took a few steps and picked up a bit of macaron.

"Hey, I think Serena left a trail of these so we could find her and Bonnie." Clemont said.

"Awesome! Lead the way, Chespin!" Ash said, he and Pikachu following Chespin.

"Rylee," Clemont said, and I turned visible, "will you go and find Bonnie and Serena?"

"Of course." I said. Zoroark and I turned into Fletchlings and followed after Team Rocket.

* * *

Zoroark and I found the Team Rocket van, which shook back and force with echoed cries of struggle. We crept up to the open back door and peeked inside. Team Rocket, Sycamore, Bonnie, and Serena were in the truck. Team Rocket stood over the other three, which were tied up.

"All right, you better start talking Mega Evolution, Professor." Meowth said, holding a piece of glass.

"And what if I don't?" Sycamore said.

"You'll be sorry you asked." Meowth extended his claws and raked them against the piece of glass, broadcasting an ear-shattering screech. Everyone in the van whimpered from the sharp noise.

"All right! I'll talk!" Sycamore said, and Meowth stopped. "The data is in my pocket."

Meowth walked over and pulled the memory card from Sycamore's pocket. He held it high for Team Rocket to marvel at. Zoroark and I glanced at each other and nodded. I picked up my feet and flew into the van. I circled around Team Rocket and pecked at their hair while chattering loudly in their ears.

"Bratty bird!" Jessie said. "Get it out of my hair!"

Meowth extracted its claws from his free hand and swiped at me frantically, but I dodged. While they were distracted, Zoroark flew in and snatched the memory card from Meowth's hand.

"Hey! That's not yours to take! That's our job!" James cried.

Zoroark and I wove in and out between their faces. As they went cross-eyed from trying to keep track of us, Zoroark tossed the memory card aside into an empty can before flying out of the van. The three Team Rocket members ignorantly chased after her. I turned around and fluttered in front of Sycamore, Bonnie, and Serena.

"Wow, thanks, Fletchling!" Bonnie said.

I took a deep breath, bowed my head, and glowed green. The three hostages gasped in shock as I landed on the ground and changed back into my human form. Crouched down, I looked up at the three and smiled.

"You're welcome." I said. I shot a wink at Bonnie.

Bonnie, stunned at the sight of what just happened, groaned and fainted.

Oops. Not my greatest plan.

"Uh... Sorry." I said, standing up. I cupped my hands together for a second before separating them. A sword of Protect formed in my hands, and I gripped the smooth handle. "Hold very still."

I brought my arm back, and Sycamore and Serena braced themselves. I dealt a few quick swipes, and the ropes and tape fell off them. Serena lifted Bonnie into her arms.

"Thank you... Who are you?" Serena said.

"I'm Rylee. I'm an old friend of Ash." I said, and her eyebrows raised. I pulled the memory card out of the empty can and handed it to Sycamore. "Now, hurry out of here. Clemont and Ash are looking for you."

Sycamore and Serena nodded and jumped out of the van. I heard Clemont and Ash calling to them. I transformed back into a Fletchling and flew out of the van, meeting with Zoroark.

 _"What happened in there?"_ Zoroark said, gesturing to the unconscious Bonnie.

 _"Little girls don't really handle shape-shifting humans well."_

 _"You revealed yourself to them?"_

 _"Yes..."_ I didn't like the annoyed look in Zoroark's eyes. _"What? They're good people. I won't get experimented on by a bunch of children."_

 _"I'm not mad at that. I'm mad that you're appearing to everyone except Ash. Why are you doing this?"_

 _"Is this really a good time to discuss that? We have Team Rocket butt to kick."_

 _"Really? Because it looks like you're trying to find a way out of this conversation."_

I pretended I didn't hear that last comment as I flew over to the others.

"Is everyone all right?" Ash said.

"Yeah... More or less." a dazed Serena said, glancing at Bonnie in her arms.

"What happened?" Clemont said.

"There was this girl..." Sycamore said, rubbing his forehead.

A loud rumble interrupted his confused train of thought. Everyone turned around as the old warehouse next to them trembled. The wall burst open, and a giant, mechanical Meowth rolled out.

"What the _heck_ is _that_?!" Ash said.

"Introducing our Mega-Mega Meowth!" Jessie said. "Now, Professor, be a dear and hand over that memory card."

"Never!" Sycamore said.

"Very well, then. Mega-Mega Meowth, go!" James said.

Mega-Mega Meowth uttered a low, distorted cry before it kicked into gear and rolled towards the others.

"Let's get outta here!" Serena said.

As the others ran down the path, Clemont paused and turned around. Chespin lagged far behind with the macaron basket. It tripped, spilling the contents onto the ground.

"Chespin!" Clemont cried as Chespin frantically tried to pick up the treats. It turned around as Mega-Mega Meowth loomed right over it, ready to squish it. Clemont lunged and grabbed Chespin, stumbling out of Mega-Mega Meowth's path. He hid behind a worn, stone pillar.

" _Clemont!_ " I said, flying over to him and changing back to my human self. "Are you okay?"

"Sort of." Clemont groaned and gripped his shoulder.

Chespin opened the macaron basket and handed a macaron to Clemont.

"Thank you." Clemont accepted the macaron and ate it. We glanced back down the path, where the others were still being pursued by Mega-Mega Meowth. "We've got to find a way to stop Team Rocket and save the others. My friends are precious to me, just like those macarons are precious to you."

Chespin stared thoughtfully at Clemont.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Pikachu attacked Mega-Mega Meowth, but its electricity was absorbed into its charm. It launched the attack back with double power, directly hitting Pikachu. Pikachu collapsed onto the ground.

"This machine can reflect your Thunderbolt, which gives us the mega upper hand!" James said.

"No way! There's gotta be something we can do..." Clemont said.

" _I know! Follow me!_ " Chespin said. It set the macaron basket down and ran from the pillar. We followed it to the rear of Mega-Mega Meowth. A long cord was attached to it.

"It looks like it could be what powers Mega-Mega Meowth." I said.

Chespin led us back inside the warehouse. The cord connected to a large battery, and Chespin tried to unplug it.

" _Don't just stand there... Help me!_ " Chespin cried.

Clemont and I nodded, and we grabbed the plug and yanked. The cord unplugged, and we fell back to the ground.

"That should do it." Clemont said, adjusting his glasses.

"Like that's going to stop us!" James said. "Turn on the auxiliary power!"

Meowth did so, and the Mega-Mega Meowth turned back on.

"Go help them out, Clemont." I said.

Clemont nodded, and he and Chespin ran to help the others. Chespin used Pin Missile and Tackle, but the Mega-Mega Meowth was too resilient. With a combined force, Pikachu used Quick Attack and Chespin used Tackle, but it still did nothing.

"Keep trying, Pokémon, but you'll never hurt Mega-Mega Meowth!" Meowth taunted.

A fiery blast came down from the sky and smashed into Mega-Mega Meowth. Mega Blaziken backflipped and landed on a tree branch. A man wearing a uniform similar to Mega Blaziken stood one branch below with his arms crossed and a smug smile.

"It's those two from Lumiose City." I said. "What are they doing here?"

"Use Flamethrower!"

Mega Blaziken unleashed a colossal burst of fire that collided with Mega-Mega Meowth. The machine was barbecued and it fell apart. Pikachu used Electro Ball and Chespin used Pin Missile. The two attacks hit the machine's battery, causing it to explode and send Team Rocket blasting off into the sky. The others looked up at Mega Blaziken and the man, and they jumped away into the forest.

* * *

"Thank you so much for your help today." Professor Sycamore said when they returned to the lab. Alyssa stood at his side. "Because of all of you, I'm free again!"

"Yeah, but still... your research lab is messed up again." Ash said.

"Not to worry. I'll have it all fixed by the time you come to visit again."

"We will, no doubt!"

"Guess we better head out." Serena said.

I sensed a pair of eyes watching us, and I looked over and saw Chespin watching the kids from a bush. I nudged Clemont, and he looked over and saw Chespin.

"Chespin?" he said. "You were a big help. I'm sure we'll see you soon!"

Chespin fumbled with its paws. " _I... I wanna go with you!_ "

"Huh? Is that okay?" Clemont said to Sycamore.

"Of course. After all, that's what Chespin wants." Sycamore handed Clemont Chespin's PokéBall.

Clemont smiled and walked over to Chespin. "Chespin... Welcome to the team!"

Chespin jumped with joy, and Clemont returned Chespin back to its PokéBall. Bonnie grumbled in Serena's arms, and her eyes fluttered open.

"Bonnie, you're awake!" Clemont said. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah... Wow... That was so weird..." Bonnie said. Serena set her down, keeping a hand on her shoulder to steady her. "That Pokémon turned into a girl!"

"What?" Clemont and Ash said.

"That's how we were able to escape. Two Fletchling came in and attacked Team Rocket. One of them turned into a girl right before our eyes!" Serena said. "She used the move Protect, and she manipulated it into a sword and freed us."

Ash tensed. "A girl... that used Protect?"

"Maybe you all were just hallucinating from stress." Clemont said quickly. "After all, you were being held hostage. Perhaps it was just your imagination. A girl that can turn into a Pokémon and use its moves? Doesn't that seem a bit farfetched?"

"You'd be surprised..." Ash said, his voice distant. His eyes were fixed on Clemont. He shook his head and his smile returned. "Well, let's get going! Cyllage City, here we come!"

* * *

"Are you _nuts_?!" Clemont cried, his arms crossed and a scowl on his face.

"You sure look like it, screaming at nothing." I said before I turned visible.

"Why did you reveal yourself to Serena and Bonnie? To Professor Sycamore?"

"I had to help them; it's my job. Why are you so concerned about this?"

"You told me you needed to be careful about using your powers."

"You don't need to worry about me." I said.

Clemont reached out and clasped my hand. I tensed and looked at him in surprise.

"You remember what I said to Chespin, right? I said my friends are precious to me. You're my friend, too, Rylee. Is it bad for me to worry about you?" Clemont said.

I sighed. "Thank you, Clemont, but I'm fine..."

"Are you sure? I don't mean to pry, but you seem like you're troubled by a lot of things that you won't tell me."

"You mean the boy you saw from my vision before." I said quietly. Clemont nodded slightly. I placed my hand on his shoulder. "That's a story for another day. Okay?"

Clemont released my hand. "All right..."


	10. Jailbreak

We continued to walk down the path towards Cyllage City. As we walked, Ash stopped.

"Did you hear that?" he said.

We paused to listen, but all I could hear was the wind rustling.

"I don't hear anything." Clemont said. "Are you sure you heard something?"

"Yeah..." Ash said.

We listened again. The answer came when we heard two low grumblings coming from Ash and Pikachu's stomach.

"Looks like we found the answer." Serena said. Ash laughed and clutched his stomach, his cheeks bright red from embarrassment. His laughter died at the sound of something revving, like a vehicle. "Wait... I hear something now."

We took a couple more steps down the road, and we saw the dirt being picked up into a cloud of dust. A large, black vehicle zoomed out from the hill crest, heading straight toward us. I gasped and shoved my friends out of the way as the vehicle zoomed past us. I caught a glimpse of a large man with a Diggersby in the passenger seat. It seemed as if it would keep driving whether or not we were in the way.

"That was rude!" Serena huffed. She stood up and dusted off her skirt. "What's that guy's problem?"

"Out of the way!" Officer Jenny rode on her scooter, her Manectric in a side seat, past us and after the man.

"If Officer Jenny is chasing that man, something must be wrong." Clemont said. "That man could be a wanted criminal!"

"There could be trouble!" Bonnie said.

"Let's go check it out!" Ash said.

We ran down the path after Jenny and the unknown criminal. We followed the trail of disturbed dirt and tire tracks in the grass. The man had his Diggersby use Mudshot at Officer Jenny. One of them hit a tree, halting her chase. The man swerved on the road, and a crate flew out of the trunk and down the hill. We took a detour and ran towards the crate.

Clemont, on the other hand, staggered hopelessly behind, panting like a large man after climbing ten flights of stairs.

"I... can't... go on!" Clemont wheezed, collapsing to his knees.

"Clemont, get a grip!" Bonnie said, her hands on her hips and a pout on her face.

Something caught my peripheral, and I turned to see something crawling out of the crate. A Scatterbug inched out. As Ash examined its Pokédex entry, Scatterbug emitted a faint, black powder in the air in attempts to scare us off.

"It's okay, Scatterbug. We're not going to hurt you. We're your friends." Ash said.

Half with relief and half with exhaust, Scatterbug collapsed onto the ground. Ash picked up the small Bug-type.

"Scatterbug needs help." Clemont said.

"We better take it to a Pokémon Center!" Bonnie said.

As the kids ran down the path, I paused and glanced back at the empty crate. I scowled and clenched my fists.

 _Scatterbug was trapped in that crate inside that man's trunk._ I thought. _A Pokémon smuggler._

* * *

"Don't worry, Wigglytuff will take good care of Scatterbug." Nurse Joy said as Wigglytuff rolled Scatterbug away on a cart.

"Thanks, Nurse Joy." Ash said.

"It looks like your Scatterbug doesn't come from around this area."

"You can tell just by looking?"

"Yes. Take a look up at this screen." Nurse Joy pressed a button on her computer, and the screen above us lit up with six Vivillon, the evolved form of Scatterbug. All of their wing patterns were different from each other. "Vivillon have many different patterns, depending on where they come from. In a similar way, Scatterbug have slight differences, too. I'd be very interested to know where you found that Scatterbug."

"Well-" Ash said.

"I've got you!" A lasso shot out and wrapped around Ash's wrist. It yanked back, forcing him to abruptly turn around and face Officer Jenny. Manectric growled at her side, ready to pounce if needed. "Now, don't make a move! You're in a whole lot of trouble, young man!"

"Move?! You've already got me tied up!" Ash said, tugging against the rope.

"Believe me, I know who you are! If you have the stolen Scatterbug, then I know you're working with Dolan, the Pokémon smuggler!"

"Pokémon smuggler?"

"No way!" Serena said.

"We chased after you because we wanted to help!" Clemont said.

"On the way, we saw a big cage that was holding Scatterbug!" Ash said.

Officer Jenny paused and the rope fell out of her hands. "Then that means..."

"The Pokémon smuggler must've dropped the cage." Nurse Joy said.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I'm always jumping to conclusions, and then I mess things up." Officer Jenny said, pulling her cap over her eyes.

"That's okay." Ash said.

The room chimed from the completed process of healing, and Wigglytuff came back out with Scatterbug.

"Officer Jenny, could you tell us more about this Pokémon smuggler?" Clemont said.

"His name is Dolan. He's a Pokémon smuggler, someone who steal and sell Pokémon to unscrupulous people." Officer Jenny said. "He specializes in Vivillon, so he grabs every Scatterbug and Spewpa that he can get his hands on."

"So he must be keeping more at his hideout!" Serena said. "All those poor, helpless Scatterbug and Spewpa..."

"Yes. I hear he's got countless Pokémon. And once they evolve into Vivillon, he sells them at a premium."

"There's no excuse to do something like that. What an awful guy!" Ash said. "We've got to do something about this!"

Officer Jenny nodded. Scatterbug chattered and ran around in circles. It stopped, and it was consumed with a glowing blue light. It evolved into Spewpa.

"Wow! I've never seen a Pokémon evolve right before my eyes!" Bonnie gushed. "Hey, Ash, could you teach me about evolution?"

"Yeah, I can do that, no problem!" Ash said. I stifled a laugh. "Evolution is when a Pokémon starts to glow super bright and transform, like BAM! And that's when everyone goes, 'Wow, that's _awesome_!' And that's about all there is to it."

"Okay, that made no sense at all..."

"I guess that's my cue to take over!" Clemont said, the light catching his glasses. "There are some kinds of Pokémon that change their shapes after certain criteria are met, and this is called evolution. For example, Scatterbug evolves into Spewpa, and Spewpa evolves into Vivillon. There are several ways to make Pokémon evolve, but the most common way is, like with Vivillon, when they reach a certain level and evolve. An alternative way is by using an evolution stone. For example, for a Pikachu to evolve into Raichu, it needs a Thunder Stone."

"It's so amazing how they evolve!" Serena said.

 _"I'm not sure which explanation made more sense to me..."_ Zoroark said.

"Clemont was saying what I was saying in a different way!" Ash said.

 _"What? The smart way?"_

 _"All right, enough of your sass."_ I rolled my eyes.

 _"You know I'm right."_

"Hey, what's that on Spewpa's fur?" Officer Jenny said.

"Let me see..." Clemont said, pulling out a magnifying glass and examining Spewpa's fur. "It looks some sort of chip that's used for transmitting signals."

"A signal? For what?" Serena said.

"I know! Dolan must've implanted that chip as a tracking device so he can hunted down any Pokémon that might get away!" Officer Jenny said.

I gripped Clemont's shoulder. _"Destroy it."_ I said.

Clemont nodded, and he carefully plucked the chip from Spewpa's fur. He set it down on the table, then pounded it with the tip of his magnifying glass, shattering it.

"There. That should help." Clemont said.

"But Dolan might still be around here somewhere." Serena said.

Ash scowled. "He's not going to get Spewpa. I'll see to that."

" _But... what about my friends? Where are they?_ " Spewpa said.

"Dolan might be holding Spewpa's friends captive, too!" Bonnie said.

"I know!" Clemont said. "We'll use Spewpa to find the others. We'll have Dolan capture it, then follow him back to his hideout."

"How will be able to keep up with him? You broke the tracking device..."

Clemont adjusted his glasses. "I have something even better to use!" He patted his chest, covertly patting my fingers. "Just leave this to me!"

"I don't know how I feel about this, though... It seems dangerous to use Spewpa as bait." Serena said.

"We can use my Chespin and disguise it as Spewpa." Clemont said. He called out Chespin, and Serena decorated it with a Spewpa disguise.

"Perfect!" Serena said, clapping her hands together.

* * *

We headed back to the place where Spewpa's cage was and put Chespin inside. The children hid in a bush a ways away, and Officer Jenny hid in the shadows of a tree next to it.

"Dolan should be showing up any minute." Serena said.

"Unless he makes an appearance, the whole plan will be rendered useless." Clemont said.

"Dolan's a very greedy man. He'll definitely come back, or he won't make all that money." Officer Jenny said.

"Once he makes his pickup, we'll follow." Serena said.

"Then we can track him down to his hideout." Ash said. "So, Clemont, where's your device that can track Dolan?"

"Um... Well, it's right next to us! You can't see it though; I made it invisible!" Clemont said, oversmiling. "I call it... My Invisible Signal Tracker!"

 _"Now I'm a device? Thanks."_ I crossed my arms and glared at Clemont. He felt it and chuckled uncomfortably.

We heard the revving of an engine, and Dolan's vehicle zoomed down the path. It took a detour down the hill towards the crate and stopped.

"There you are! Is my precious merchandise safe and sound?" Dolan said, picking up the cage with Spewpa-Chespin inside. "You evolved into a Spewpa. That's good. Maybe now you'll evolve into a huge Vivillon!"

I clenched my fist as Dolan tossed the cage into the trunk and drove off.

"All right! Activating my Invisible Signal Tracker!" Clemont said.

I sighed, and Zoroark and I ran down the path after Dolan. When we were a safe distance away, I summoned a platform of Protect and hopped on. We hurried after Dolan into the forest, careful to avoid being seen; I think he'd be weirded out by a platform of Protect chasing after him. We followed him up a rocky cliff and to a large, worn down warehouse.

"There it is." I said, dispelling the Protect and hiding behind a large rock. "Zoroark, go back and bring the others here."

 _"What, am_ I _the tracker Clemont was talking about?"_ Zoroark said.

"I guess so. Now, go!"

Her weight was lifted off my shoulder, and I heard her footsteps fade down the path. I crept into the warehouse, careful to keep my footsteps quiet.

I gasped at the sight of countless glass cages. Each was filled with Spewpa.

"Oh, no..." I whispered. I turned visible and approached the cages. The Spewpa saw me and scurried to the corner of their cages. "Please, don't be afraid. I'm here to help you. My friends and I are going to free you all."

But the Spewpa didn't move. Each trembled so greatly with fright, I was surprised the glass didn't shatter from the collective force.

"I know you're scared. I can't imagine what you've been through. I'll get you out of here, I promise." I said.

" _B-b-behind you!_ " one of the Spewpa said.

"Huh?" I tried to turn around, but a bag was forced over my head. I screamed and thrashed around, but a pair of large hands held my arms and kept me in place.

"Well, well, well. A little girl snuck her way into my warehouse." The slimy voice could only belong to someone as dirty as Dolan. "What's a pretty lady like you doing in a dangerous place like this?"

"Get your hands off me." I growled. I shoved my elbow back as hard as I could, nailing Dolan right in the stomach. He grunted in pain and released me. I summoned a shield of Protect and rammed it into Dolan, making him stumble back. I reached up and tore the bag off my head. "We'll see how dangerous this place really is compared to being behind bars."

"Oh, so you're with Officer Jenny!" Dolan sneered. "But your reinforcements ain't gonna get here in time."

Dolan grabbed a nearby pipe and charged at me. I jumped in the air, performing a full twisting layout, and shoved my feet into Dolan's back. I landed in a backflip and stood up straight. He stumbled forward, but quickly regained himself and whirled back around, his nostrils breathing hot air like a bull. He charged again.

"Honedge!" I cried, raising my arm up. One of the PokéBalls clipped to my shorts opened, and my Aegislash emerged from it. It glowed blue and reverted back to its first stage, Honedge. I grabbed its handle and struck it down, blocking Dolan's swing. Light swirled around me, starting from my feet and making its way up to the top of my head. My regular clothes disappeared, replaced by my Pokémon Guardian armor.

"What... what are you?!" Dolan said.

"The wrong person to mess with." I said. "I'm taking these Pokémon back. You and your smuggling days are over!"

"I don't think so. A Pokémon that can revert to its previous evolution states and a girl who can used Pokémon moves? I can make a _lot_ of money off of that." Dolan's yellow-toothed grin sent shivers down my spine. He shoved me back and pulled out a PokéBall. "Let's collect our treasure, Diggersby! Use Mudshot!"

Diggersby emerged from its PokéBall and shot balls of mud at me.

"Aegislash!" I said, throwing Honedge into the air. It glowed and evolved back into its final state. I looped my arm through the shield and brought it up, blocking the Mudshots.

"Double Slap!" Diggersby's ears glowed, and it lunged at me. It swung once, but I brought up Aegislash and blocked it. Diggersby brought its other ear around towards my legs. It swept me off my feet. "Hammer Arm!" Diggersby flexed its ears and smacked them hard into my torso. I flew back out of the warehouse and I crashed into a rock. I gasped at the sickening crack I heard, and I collapsed onto the ground. Pain stretched through my body, and it was unbearable for me to move.

"My tracker says it's right up here!" I heard Clemont's voice. I used a weak burst of strength to transform myself into a Scatterbug.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" Ash called.

"Well, well, looks like the back-up did come after all. But you're just a bunch of kids!" Dolan laughed.

"You're not getting away with this!"

Footsteps approached me, and I was turned over and gently lifted into the air.

"Rylee? Is that you?" Clemont examined my face. I groaned. "Are you okay?"

" _Not really..._ " I said.

"Don't worry. We'll take care of things, now." Clemont smiled. "You just rest, okay?"

I closed my eyes, succumbing to unconsciousness.

* * *

I awoke to quiet, continuous beeping. I opened my eyes to all-white walls. I shifted slightly in the bed I rested in, which felt like the most comfortable thing in the world.

"How are you feeling?" I looked over and saw Clemont standing at my bedside.

" _Better._ " I said. " _What happened to Dolan and the Pokémon?_ "

"Officer Jenny arrested Dolan, and we freed the Spewpa. They all evolved into Vivillon and flew away. It was an incredible sight!"

" _That's great. Thank you, Clemont._ "

"Did Dolan... really hurt you?"

I sighed. " _I was careless, and I got caught. I managed to put up a good fight for the time being. I guess I'm still learning. I wish my mistakes weren't so life-or-death..._ "

"I'm just glad you're okay and that we got there before something really bad happened to you..."

Clemont kept his eyes to the floor. I smiled and changed into my human form. I opened my arms and, after a few moments, Clemont rushed into them.

"Thanks for your concern, Clemont. I really appreciate having a friend like you around." I pulled away, resting my hands on his shoulders, and studied his face. My smile slowly faded. "And as my friend... I'll tell you the truth."

"About...?" Clemont said.

 _Am I really about to do this?_ I thought. The overbearing pressure in my chest had the answer, and I knew if I didn't say something at some point, it might crush me. I gulped. _Yes. I am._

I took a deep breath. "About... Cilan."


	11. Smile For Me

"Do you trust me?" I said, reaching my hand out to Clemont.

"Of course." Clemont took my hand. "Why-?"

I closed my eyes and felt a strange tug at my chest as the world around us disappeared. I opened my eyes, and we were surrounded in darkness.

"Where are we?" Clemont said, his voice rising into a panic.

"It's called the Cataclysm of Dreams. Don't worry. We're still at the Pokémon Center. That is... our bodies are." I said. "I think your science side is short-circuiting."

"I-I'm fine." Clemont said, releasing his vice grip on my arm. "So... who's... um...?"

I took a deep breath.

"Two years ago, I started my journey through the Unova region. I traveled with my three friends: Ash, Iris, and Cilan. We shared many adventures with each other. It's what led me to find out about my family and my powers. I developed a lot as a person. Iris was like a younger sister to me, and Ash was our fearless and spunky cheerleader." I said. Images appeared in front of us, and they showed me, Iris, and Ash walking down the path. The view panned out, showing another boy walking with us on my other side. My heart throbbed, and I gulped. I walked over to his image. "Cilan was the oldest and wisest of the group. He and his brothers are Gym Leaders at the Striaton Gym in Unova. Being a Pokémon Connoisseur, he had a lot of knowledge about a lot of different subjects... even if you couldn't understand what he was saying."

The image changed to the moment in the White Ruins. My friends and family huddled around my injured body that laid in Cilan's arms. He clutched my dying body tightly against his.

"He was kind to me. He always wanted to make sure I was safe from any danger, especially when I recklessly charged head-on towards it. He cared about what I had to say, and he cared about me."

I reached up, but I stopped an inch away from his face. I chuckled sadly, and a tear strolled down my face.

"I guess sometime during the journey... something else changed. Not just myself, but my feelings. I... fell in love." I slowly lowered my hand to my side. The image changed to a melancholic sunset, and I watched the memory all over again. "My journey in Unova came to an end, and I had to say goodbye to everything: my friends, my adventure, and him. Becoming a Pokémon Knight was my goal in the beginning... but in the end, I didn't care about all of that. All I cared about... all I wanted... was to be with him."

"Then... why didn't you?" Clemont said.

I turned around. The images vanished, leaving the two of us in the darkness. "What?"

"Why didn't you go back to him? If what you had was so special, then surely he still... you know... loves you, too."

I bowed my head. "I wish. Why would Cilan want to be with me? How could I lead someone on like that then disappear? I smashed his heart into the ground." I clenched my fist. "He doesn't love me anymore. I'd be lucky if he even tolerated me now. He hates me... Who could blame him? I hate myself, too."

Clemont opened his mouth to say more, but he decided against it. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. He offered it to me. I smiled, accepted the cloth, and wiped my eyes. It felt as light as air.

"You're such a good kid." I said, staring at my hands. "You... remind me of him. I guess that's why I... I..."

"That's why you appeared to me. Why you've stayed with me and told me all of this." Clemont said.

I nodded. I closed my eyes and transported us back to the Pokémon Center. The dome of Protect around us, an instinctive shield of security that activates when I enter the Cataclysm of Dreams, faded. "I'm sorry, Clemont. I'm supposed to be focusing on my mission, but I've gotten sidetracked."

"Don't be sorry." I looked up at Clemont's smile. "I'm glad to have met you, and I'm glad you're here with us. As long as we're traveling together, make sure you keep smiling, okay? I like when you're happy."

I grinned, something I haven't sincerely done in a long time. A tear fell from each eye simultaneously, and I wiped them away. "Thank you."

* * *

The afternoon quickly went dark when a thick layer of storm clouds rolled over us. They flashed bright blue with the crash of lightning and thunder, making my stomach jump each time. Large raindrops quickly drowned the scenery.

"Maybe we should head back to the Pokémon Center." Serena said.

"It's too cold! We'll turn into ice blocks before we get back!" Ash said.

"Look!" Clemont said, pointing to a large mansion ahead of us. "We can hide from the rain there."

We ran up the steps and rested underneath the stone canopy.

"What an intense storm." Serena said, wringing out her long hair. "I can't believe how quickly it started!"

"I hate thunder..." Bonnie said.

 _"You and me both."_ I said.

There was a flash of lightning, accompanied by the roar of thunder, and Bonnie yelped and stumbled back into the front door. Seeing that it was already opened slightly, she pulled it open.

"The doors are open. Let's go in!" Bonnie said, running inside.

"Bonnie, you can't enter someone's house without permission!" Clemont said.

"Let's ask the owner if we can stay here." Ash said.

The children called many times, but there was no answer. The flash of thunder leaked through the window, briefly lighting up the room with a bright, blue glow.

"Maybe this building is abandoned. The interior looks to be in pretty bad shape." Clemont said.

"Then it wouldn't be wrong to stay here for a while, right? At least until the storm goes away." Bonnie said.

"I guess so..."

"Maybe, but this place gives me the creeps." Serena said, holding her arms.

"It's better than being in the rain!" Bonnie said.

"I think it's creepy because the lights are off." Clemont said. As he searched for a light switch, the lights came on.

"Hey, thanks, Clemont!" Serena said.

Clemont sweatdropped. "But... I didn't turn them on."

"That's weird..." Bonnie said.

"Uh- uh-! It probably must be the sensors! Motion detectors! That's why the lights came on automatically. It may be an old house, but it must be equipped with the latest technology!" Clemont said, but his nerves showed right through his scientific theories.

"Or maybe... we're inside a haunted house!" Serena said. Ash shivered, and Serena yelped and covered her mouth. "Did I say that?!"

"Maybe we should wait outside until the rain passes." Ash said.

The others agreed wholeheartedly, but the door swung and slammed close. Ash tried to open the door, but it was locked.

"I-It must be the motion detectors closing and locking the doors after they're open for a short while!" Clemont said.

"But why are they still locked?" Serena said. Clemont frantically racked his brain for an explanation. "Maybe this is a haunted mansion that grabs people and then eats them!"

Serena clamped her mouth shut again.

"Wait! You should never trust anything that can't be explained by science! This is a huge mansion, so there has to be another way to get out of here!" Clemont said.

" _My friend once tried to justify everything with science._ " I said, hovering close to Clemont so he felt my presence. " _He ended up getting possessed._ "

Clemont tensed. I waited a couple more seconds before I grabbed his shoulder. He screamed, making the others scream, and they ran up the stairs.

 _"You're horrible."_ Zoroark giggled.

 _"I doubt this is an actual haunted place. The last time something like this happened, it was because of a Pokémon. I bet all my money that it's the same reason."_ I said.

I followed the kids. There was another crash of thunder, and the light illuminated a woman's portrait. Clemont, Ash, and Serena shrieked and fell to the ground.

"It's just a painting." Bonnie said, unamused.

"Uh, y-yeah, you're right. It's a portrait." Clemont said.

"Maybe she owns this place?" Ash said.

"Maybe she's not alive, but she's here anyway, if you know what I mean!" Serena cried, sending shivers down everyone's spine.

As we continued to climb the stairs, we stopped a flight before the top floor. We heard a strange, thumping sound that made the kids freeze.

"You heard that, too, right?" Ash said.

"It must be an old grandfather clock ticking away somewhere!" Clemont said.

"Sounds to me like someone's pounding a stake!" Serena said.

"For what?" Bonnie said.

"To stop a vampire...?!" Ash and Clemont yelped, and Serena stuffed her hair into her mouth.

We headed to the top floor and down the hallway. A shriek echoed through the hallways.

"What was that?!" Serena said.

"Like I previously stated, this is an old mansion, so it's really drafty! The draft sounds like a whistle, and the whistle sounds like someone's screaming, which is actually quite common!" Clemont said.

 _"I hope he doesn't wet his pants..."_ Zoroark said.

"You're wrong! That sounded like actual screaming! This mansion must be haunted by the spirit of the lady in that painting!" Serena said, inducing another shiver from Ash.

 _"By the looks of this, I'll be surprised if they all don't need to change after this."_ I said.

There was another scream. Something floated into the hallway- something small with a glowing blue outline that matched its wide eyes. The eyes creeped me out, but this definitely looked like a Pokémon. It floated down the hallway.

"Hey, wait!" Bonnie said, and she chased after it.

"Bonnie!" Clemont called, and the kids chased after her. They turned the corner, but Bonnie and the mysterious Pokémon were gone. "Where did she go?!"

We headed back into the entrance.

"I wonder where she went..." Ash said.

Clemont stopped and pondered to himself before he screamed.

"What the _heck_ was that for?!" Serena said.

"I figured it out! There must be a Psychic- or Ghost-type Pokémon in this mansion! That's gotta be why the lights went on and the doors closed all by themselves!" Clemont said.

 _"You could've just said so instead of shattering my eardrums..."_ Zoroark grumbled as she shook her head.

 _"I totally called it. You owe me five dollars."_ I said.

"That certainly would explain all the weird stuff." Serena said.

"Then the glowing thing we saw must've really been a Pokémon!" Clemont said. "I guess the doors and windows wouldn't open because the Pokémon doesn't want us to leave yet."

"But why?"

"I don't know... But that also means that Bonnie might be alone with it. We need to find her!"

"Let's start looking!" Ash said.

"But no splitting up, okay? I've seen all those horror movies, and splitting up is one of the worst things we could do!" Serena said.

" _I'll search upstairs._ " I said.

"Okay, thanks." Clemont said.

"What was that, Clemont?" Ash said.

"Uh, I said, okay! Let's search the ground floor first."

Serena, Clemont, and Ash went into the next room, and Zoroark and I headed upstairs. Once we were on the top floor, we turned visible and walked down the hallway.

"Hear anything?" I said. "Any crying or screaming?"

" _No..._ " Zoroark said. " _Wait. Hear that?_ "

I paused and listened. I hear quiet mumbling. I slowly walked down the halls so my creaking footsteps wouldn't interfere, and I came to a door where the mumbling was on the other side. I slowly opened the door.

Bonnie turned around and her eyes widened at the sight of me. She held a small, blue, rubber ball in her hands.

"You're the girl I saw from before!" she said. "You were that Fletchling!"

I smiled and crouched down to her height. "My name is Rylee. I'm a good friend of Clemont and Ash. And yes, I was that Fletchling. I was a lot of things in your journey."

I looked across the room from her, and a small, gray, bi-pedal Pokémon stood against the wall- an Espurr. It wore a strange necklace. Its wide eyes were fixed on Bonnie, and it gestured its arm to the ball and itself.

"I think it wants you to throw that ball." I said.

Bonnie obeyed, and Espurr used Psychic to throw the ball back. Bonnie caught it again. She giggled, and she and Espurr tossed the ball back and forth.

" _This is fun!_ " Espurr cried.

Bonnie paused in her toss. "Hey, I heard it talk! Just like those times before!" Bonnie said. She turned to me. "Am I able to understand them because of you?"

"Yes." I said. "I have the power to understand Pokémon, and I'm able to broadcast their voice so other people can hear and understand them."

"Wow, that's so cool! What else can you do?"

Dedenne waved its hands, signaling for the next catch. Espurr threw the ball at Dedenne. It caught it, but it lost its balance and it fell from Bonnie's head. Bonnie gasped and lunged for Dedenne. At the same time, Espurr cast Psychic on Bonnie and Dedenne, and I formed a platform of Protect below them. Espurr set the two on the Protect, and I shifted it to float vertical so Bonnie stood on her feet again.

"Whoa... You can turn into Pokémon, talk to them, _and_ use their moves?" Bonnie said.

"Not just that, but I _am_ a Pokémon." I winked at Bonnie, and her eyes lit up. I turned to Espurr. "Espurr, you were the one that's been causing all the things around this mansion to happen, right?"

" _Yes!_ " Espurr said.

"Why'd you do that?"

Espurr walked over and opened the door with Psychic. We followed it to a playroom, filled with many different sized toys. Espurr climbed up a little slide and rode down it. Bonnie's eyes lit up, and she and Dedenne rode down it, too.

" _Can we play on that?_ " Espurr said, pointing to the Ponyta rocking horse.

"Yeah!" Bonnie set Espurr and Dedenne on the rocking horse and rocked them back and forth.

I thoughtfully watched Espurr's joyful face as it rocked back and forth. Bonnie rocked the Ponyta back and forth, each time rocking it with more power.

"Bonnie, be careful-!" I said. Bonnie shoved the horse, and it rocked to the side and crashed to the ground. Espurr used Psychic to levitate it and Dedenne in the air.

"Sorry..." Bonnie said.

" _It's okay._ " Espurr said, using Psychic to turn the wooden Ponyta right-side up again.

"I like that pendant, Espurr. Where did you get it?" I said.

Espurr's face fell, and it ran towards the door.

" _Come with me._ " it said. It used Psychic to levitate, and it lead us down the hall and into a large room. A table sat in the middle of the crimson carpet. At the end of the room was an ash-filled fireplace, and above it was a portrait of the woman I saw in the front room. It floated up to the woman's painted face and pointed at it. She wore the same pendant that Espurr was wearing. " _It's hers._ "

"Is that your owner?" Bonnie said. Espurr nodded. "Where is she now?"

Espurr's ears drooped and it purred sadly.

"Bonnie!" Clemont called from the hallway. I turned around, catching a glimpse of Ash's jacket, and I turned invisible. Bonnie noticed, and she did a full spin as she tried to find me. Serena, Ash, and Clemont ran into the room. Clemont knelt down and gripped Bonnie's shoulders. "Bonnie, there you are! You had us all worried! You should never, ever run off like that again!"

"I'm sorry..." Bonnie said, still glancing around. "I was playing with Espurr and your friend, but she's gone now."

"My friend?" Clemont said, then it clicked. "Oh... um... I'm sure she's still around here somewhere."

Ash examined Espurr's Pokédex entry while the Pokémon chattered, held up its pendant and pointed at the portrait.

"I was able to understand it, but I can't anymore..." Bonnie said.

"It's simple." We turned around, and Team Rocket entered the room. "No one's going to be able to leave until we figure out what it is that Espurr wants."

 _"What are_ they _doing here?"_ Zoroark said.

 _"You're surprised to see them? It's like they have a tracking device on Ash and Pikachu."_ I said.

"Translate, please, Meowth." Jessie said.

"Get this: Espurr says it wants to return the pendant to the lady in the painting." Meowth said.

I looked to Espurr and broadcasted its voice.

" _She took really good care of me. She fed me, played with me, and she loved me._ " Espurr said. " _But then... something was wrong with her one day. She gave me her pendant. I left for a time. But when I came back again to visit, she was gone..._ "

"It's been waiting for her so it could return the pendant." Serena said.

"She must've really liked you a lot to let you wear that pretty pendant of yours." Bonnie said.

" _But where did she go...? What happened to her...?_ " Espurr said.

"Sorry, but none of us know." Ash said.

"We could try and figure it out." Clemont said.

"Sorry, but that's not gonna happen." Jessie said.

"We have one solution, and that's to capture Espurr!" James said. Jessie and James called out Pumpkaboo and Inkay.

Pumpkaboo used Leech Seed. Vines emerged from underneath Espurr and wrapped around it, sucking its energy. Inkay shot Psybeam at the kids, and they cried out and braced themselves.

I thrust out my hand and cast Protect in front of them, blocking the attack. Smoke arose from the impact, and within the camouflage, I morphed the Protect into a sword and cut through the Leech Seed, freeing Espurr. Espurr cast Psychic on Team Rocket and sent them rocketing out of the window and into the sky.

Outside, the storm was gone and the blue sky had returned. I heard faint revving, and I looked out the window. In front of the mansion, I saw a car drive up and park.

" _Hey._ " I said, catching Clemont's attention.

"Guys, someone's here." Clemont said, and the kids gathered to look at the car.

The door behind us opened, and a woman with short, auburn hair and teal eyes entered.

"Who are you?" Ash said.

"I'm Elise. I see you've become acquainted with my grandmother's house." the woman said.

"Your grandmother?" Serena said. "Does that mean you own the place?"

"That's right. And who are you?"

Each child introduced themselves and they explained about their encounter with Espurr and the strange things it did in the mansion.

"I see. Grandma Lacy always played with me when I came to visit, just like she did with you." Elise said to Espurr. Espurr purred happily.

"What happened to your grandma? Where is she?" Ash said.

Elise turned away and bowed her head. "I'm afraid she passed away."

The kids gasped quietly. Espurr's face drooped. It took the pendant off its neck and handed it to Elise.

"Espurr wanted to return that pendant to your grandma, but I guess it'll never get the chance." Ash said.

"Thank you. This was my grandmother's favorite piece of jewelry." Elise wandered around the room. "This old house was scheduled to be torn down soon. It's in pretty bad shape, so I came back to see what kind of condition it was in. But after this... I think I've changed my mind. I'm going to renovate this place!"

" _But what about...?_ " Espurr said.

"Don't worry. Grandma Lacy's portrait will stay right where it is. And when it's all finished, I'm going to move in. And I'd be thrilled if you'd come and play! Would you like to come to the cemetery where Grandma Lacy is? You can tell her all about the pendant and say goodbye."

" _I'd like that._ "

* * *

We said goodbye to Elise and Espurr as the car drove away. With the storm gone, a bright rainbow replaced it.

"Clemont, why didn't you tell me about your new friend?!" Bonnie said, stomping her foot and pouting at her older brother.

"What new friend are you talking about?" Serena said.

"She came and played with me and Espurr. She said she was a friend of Ash and Clemont."

"A friend of mine?" Ash said.

Bonnie nodded. "She was really pretty! I think she would've made the perfect wife for you!"

Clemont's face broke out into a mad blush as he tensed. " _Bonnie_! I've told you a million times to stop!"

"But who else is going to take care of you?! I think that girl was a keeper! Do you remember her, Serena? She was the one who can turn into a Pokém-" Bonnie said. Clemont cried out and used his Aipom Arm to cover Bonnie's mouth.

"You mean the Fletchling girl? She was here?" Serena said. Her eyes turned to Clemont. "You _know_ her?"

"Know is a very strong word! And besides, there might be a bunch of other people that can turn into Pokémon!" Clemont said quickly.

"I'm finding a hole in your logic."

"This isn't about me! Look around us! The storm is gone! That means we can get going!"

Ash kept his eyes on Clemont. "Yeah... Let's go."

The kids resumed their travels down the path towards Cyllage City.

" _So..._ " I said, walking alongside Clemont. " _I'm a keeper, huh?_ "

Clemont's blush returned. I covered my mouth and laughed.


	12. Hungry for Battle

"I hope a Pokémon Center is nearby. It's almost dark!" Serena said.

"We can just camp outside if that happens." Ash said.

"Camp outside?!"

"Don't you have any gear?"

"Well, actually... My mom told me this might happen, but I never really thought it would happen to me."

"I brought an extra sleeping bag with me. You can use that if you'd like." Clemont said.

"And you can sleep with me in my tent!" Bonnie said.

Serena's panic calmed. As nighttime fell, the kids set up their tents and started a fire. Clemont made food for everyone and their Pokémon.

"Bon appétit!" Clemont said in a horrid french accent. The kids dug in ravenously. "I made extra for you and Zoroark, if you're hungry."

" _Thanks. I'll have some later._ " I said.

 _"I'm having mine right now! I'm starving!"_ Zoroark jumped off my shoulder and scurried away.

"I hope everyone can handle food magically disappearing." Clemont chuckled.

After dinner, Serena pulled out a basket of macarons. Clemont poured tea for everyone and opened the basket, and he gasped when he looked inside.

"I-It's empty!" he said.

"What?!" Serena said, grabbing the basket and shaking it upside down. "I know I made a batch at the Pokémon Center!"

We heard munching in the nearby bushes, and I spotted Chespin's spikes poking through the grass.

"Chespin!" Clemont cried. "Did you take all the macarons again?!"

Chespin turned his head, its big smile covered with crumbs. He held a macaron in its hand. " _Maybe..._ "

"You can't eat them all!"

Chespin jumped to his feet, his full belly rippling, and he held the macaron between his teeth. Clemont lunged for Chespin, but he jumped away and ran. He tripped on his giant belly and tumbled to the ground, crashing into Clemont's tent and knocking it over. The macaron slipped into his mouth, and he ate it.

"Chespin!" Clemont cried. He groaned as Ash and Serena fixed his tent. "I'm so sorry..."

"It's all right." Ash said.

"Yeah, it's no big deal!" Serena said.

"Maybe... but I really wanted a macaron!" Bonnie pouted.

"Don't worry, I can always make more."

Chespin cleaned his teeth with a stick, burping and sighing with satisfaction.

"Now that everything is fixed, how about having a Pokémon battle?" Ash said.

"Sure. Chespin, let's use this battle to get a little exercise." Clemont said.

Chespin hoisted himself onto his feet, his stomach jiggling. Ash called out Froakie, and the two stood on opposite sides.

"Froakie, use Bubble!" Froakie opened his mouth and shot a barrage of bubbles at Chespin.

"Dodge!" Chespin tried to take a step, but the Bubble hit him and knocked him to the ground.

 _"Looks like all those macarons are slowing Chespin down."_ Zoroark said.

"Now, Chespin, use Tackle!" Chespin lumbered over to Froakie, and Froakie jumped out of the way as he tried to fall on him rather than tackle.

"Use Pound!"

"Dodge it!" Froakie lunged at Chespin, and Chespin tripped and dodged the attack. "Faster, Chespin! Move it!"

Chespin fell to the ground. Froakie turned back around as Chespin looked around for him. Froakie landed behind Chespin and knocked him in the head. Chespin tumbled to the ground and laid on his back, unconscious.

"I... guess I won." Ash said.

Clemont sighed and picked up Chespin. "Being a Gym Leader and losing like that is kind of embarrassing..."

"The way things are now, I bet even Dedenne could beat Chespin in a battle!" Bonnie said.

" _Not helping, Bonnie._ " I said. Bonnie glanced around in confusion.

"I kind of doubt that..." Clemont said.

"I'll prove it. Battle Dedenne!"

"Um... All right."

" _Bring it on!_ " Chespin said.

Dedenne and Chespin stood on opposite sides of each other. The battle ended rather quickly because of Chespin's inability to move quickly. With one Thunder Shock, Chespin was knocked out. Clemont sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

* * *

Serena, Bonnie, and Ash retreated to their tents after the battles. Meanwhile, Clemont was outside working on a spontaneous invention while Chespin napped on the rocks by the fire.

"Now look, Chespin, I'm a Gym Leader and you're my Pokémon, so here's the deal: we can't have you battling like that just because you eat too much. But, not to worry, with this machine, you'll be full of energy in no time!"

"I don't suppose this invention will try and solve Chespin's extra weight." I said, poking Chespin's large stomach. It rippled.

"That's what I'm hoping for. After all, my inventions are always spot on!"

"They also always end in a fiery explosion."

Chespin woke up, its nose high in the air. It stood up and walked away, down the forest path.

"Uh... Clemont?" I said, watching Chespin disappear into the trees.

"Not now, Rylee, I'm inventing here!" Clemont said.

"Ah, yes, I'm sorry. Just one question: how are you going to test your invention if your test subject isn't even here?" I said.

"What?!" Clemont looked around, finally noticing Chespin was gone. His invention started to spark. "Uh, oh..."

Whatever he was making, it exploded. I crossed my arms and cast Protect in front of me to shield myself from the fiery blast. Once the smoke subsided, I dispelled it and looked at Clemont, who laid on the ground next to his destroyed prototype.

"What happened?!" Ash cried as he emerged from his tent. I turned invisible.

"Um... nothing. My invention, er, exploded. Again." Clemont said.

"You interrupted my sleep!" Bonnie grumbled in her Tyrantrum pajamas as she and Serena got out of the Shellder-shaped tent. Whatever Bonnie was dreaming about, it must've been crazy.

"Chespin wandered off! We need to find it!"

After changing and putting away their camping gear, the kids searched for Chespin. They walked down the path I saw Chespin go down, frantically calling his name.

"I hope Chespin's all right." Serena said.

"Maybe it doesn't like us anymore." Bonnie said. Clemont sweatdropped and groaned in defeat.

"I'm sure that's not the case. We'll find it if we keep looking!" Ash said.

"It's my fault." Clemont said. "I'm the one who forced Chespin to battle after it had eaten all those macarons, and now it doesn't like me anymore. Chespin must've run away."

"I don't believe that." Serena said. "Let's all split up and search the whole area."

"Yeah! Pikachu and I will go search that way!" Ash said as he and Pikachu ran down the hill.

"Let's go look over there." Serena said to Bonnie, and the two girls ran another way.

I turned visible and placed my hand on Clemont's shoulder. "Chespin's around here somewhere. I'm sure your worst-case scenarios are just that. Let's look for it."

Clemont sighed and nodded. "All right."

* * *

Clemont and I headed down the path, looking left and right for Chespin. At the edge of the path was a small house. Seated on a bench by the front door was an elderly woman. Sitting next to her was Chespin, happily snacking on macarons.

"Chespin... It looks so happy." Clemont said. He watched Chespin as his face drooped. He turned around and walked away.

"Clemont!" I said, hurrying after him. "What are you doing? Why aren't you getting Chespin?"

"It doesn't care about me anymore..." Clemont said.

"Don't say that. There's obviously must be more to this than you're seeing." I said. "Chespin is an eating machine, for crying out loud! Maybe it's there because of the food that lady's giving it!"

"I said I'm done!" Clemont said, stopping and turning to me with a scowl. "I decide what's best for me and my Pokémon. It's over; Chespin's found a new owner, okay?! If Chespin likes that lady more than me, then so be it! I want you to respect that!"

I gasped in shock at Clemont's angry look. My face fell, and I stepped back and held my hands together.

"Very well." I said, turning invisible.

There was an explosion coming from the house.

"Clemont!" Ash, Bonnie, and Serena ran towards the boy. "Did you hear that?"

"Yeah, I did. And I know where's it's coming from!" Clemont said. "Chespin must be in trouble!"

The kids ran ahead. I paused a moment and sighed.

 _"He didn't really mean that."_ Zoroark said.

 _"I know..."_ I said quietly. _"But the hurt feels very real."_

I headed back to the old lady's house. Across the grass from her was an elderly man with a Delphox. Chespin laid on the ground, its belly bigger than yesterday.

"Come on, Chespin. Counterattack!" the lady cried.

"It's time to wrap this thing up! Delphox, Flamethrower!" the man said.

The tip of the stick in Delphox's hand ignited with fire, and it thrust it towards Chespin.

"Chespin!" Clemont cried, rushing over.

A column of fire burst from Delphox's stick and at Chespin. Clemont jumped in front of Chespin and used his Aipom Arm to block the fire.

"Stop, Delphox! Stop!" the man cried. Delphox dispelled the Flamethrower.

"Chespin, are you all right?" Clemont said.

" _Yeah... Thanks._ " Chespin said.

Clemont turned to the old lady. "Chespin is my Pokémon."

"Well, what do you know? It looks like I made quite a mistake..." the lady said.

"Then that's that! I suppose that would make me the winner again!" the man said.

The old lady sighed in defeat. Chespin stared at her thoughtfully, then he turned around and faced the old man and Delphox.

" _Bring it on!_ " he said.

Clemont watched Chespin, admiring its determination, and he smiled.

"Chespin and I would like to finish this battle for you, ma'am." Clemont said. "I'm going to think about Chespin's feelings more. By doing that, it will help me grow as a person and a trainer!"

"Not sure what you mean by that, but anyway, I'd be pleased if you battled for me!" the old lady said. "And I'd be more pleased if you win. That old man owes me an apology! Wiley, it's okay with you, isn't it?"

"Okay, if that's how the boy feels..." the old man, Wiley, said. "Will-O-Wisp!"

Delphox pulled its stick from the fur of its arm and cast a blast of ghostly fire at Chespin.

"Chespin, dodge by rolling!" Chespin tumbled out of the way, dodging the Will-O-Wisps.

"Delphox, Flamethrower!" Delphox shot another column of searing flames.

"All right, Chespin, drop and roll!" Chespin continued to roll away from Delphox's attacks.

 _"What is he doing?"_ Zoroark said.

I watched Chespin as he continued to tumble. _"This must be Clemont's strategy. By keeping Chespin moving, it might be able to lose the food weight and gain its strength back."_

"Will-O-Wisp!"

"Keep rolling and dodging!" Chespin rolled away, this time much faster. "You feeling better? Use Tackle!"

Chespin lunged at Delphox with blinding speed and rammed into it.

"Vine Whip!" Vines extracted from Chespin's collar and he snapped them at Delphox. Delphox swung its arm and knocked the vines away.

"That won't work on us! Use Flamethrower!" The column of fire surged at Chespin. Chespin brought its arms up to try and block, but the Flamethrower smacked into it. Chespin flew back and tumbled to the ground.

"Oh, no..." Clemont said. He gulped down his panic. "Chespin, you've got to get up! I believe in you! You can do it!"

Chespin groaned as it pulled itself to its feet. Its body emitted a green light, and the grass around us rippled like water.

"Overgrowth! When Chespin's in bad shape, its Grass-type moves get stronger!" Clemont said, a big smile on his face. "Yes! It's time to really show them! Vine Whip, let's go!"

Chespin's vines lunged at Delphox and slapped it. Delphox's stick flew out of its hand. It gasped.

"I still got a trick or two up my sleeve! I didn't think I'd need to use it, but that'll be that!" Wiley said.

"But, Wiley, you're going to use that move?! It's must too dangerous, and you know it!" the old lady said.

"You be quiet! There's no going back, now! Now, Mystical Fi-!" Wiley cried. There was a crack, and Wiley froze. He cried out and fell to the ground. "M-my back! Owwww!"

"Sir, are you all right?!" Clemont said. The glow around Chespin disappeared.

"Oh, dear! Now didn't I tell you you'd hurt yourself?" the old lady said, helping Wiley up. "Poor thing... I'd say that's enough battling for one day, Wiley."

Wiley chuckled. "I guess I'll let you have this victory."

"Maybe we should just call it a draw."

* * *

Zoroark and I waited outside while the kids and the elderly couple were inside the house.

"Rylee?" I looked up as the door closed, and Clemont shuffled down the stairs. He held a piece of cake in his hands.

"Yes?" I said, crossing my arms and turning visible. "How did everything go?"

"Great. It turns out Chespin didn't run away. It still likes me and cares about me." Clemont said. He frowned. "Also... I'm sorry, Rylee, for what I said to you. I guess I was just upset at the thought of Chespin leaving."

Clemont bowed his head and held out the piece of cake to me.

"I hope you can forgive me." he mumbled.

My blank expression spread into a smile, and I took the cake from Clemont's hands. He looked up and smiled.

"Of course." I said. "But first..."

I took a glob of frosting and smeared it on Clemont's nose. He yelped and recoiled. Zoroark and I giggled.

"There. Now we're even." I said, wiping the leftover frosting off my finger and onto the plate. "That'll teach you for not trusting my judgment. After all, I am the one with the powers."

Clemont wiped the frosting off and blushed. "Right. I won't let that happen again."


	13. Help from the Shadows

"Way to go, Froakie!" Ash cried as Froakie hurled frubbles at the stone cliffside. "Face the rocks and use Bubble!" Leaping into the air, Froakie twisted his body and launched a barrage of sheer bubbles at the rocks. "Now, use Water Pulse!" Froakie flowed into the next order. He landed on a tree branch and brought his hands together, forming a ball of water energy. He threw the Water Pulse at a tall boulder, and it knocked off the top. "Awesome!"

"You still have much work to do." a young voice echoed from somewhere within the forest. I turned and scanned the trees, but I couldn't see anyone.

Froakie, however, did. He reached into his fluffy collar and threw a cluster of frubbles at the trunk of a tree.

"So, you found me, eh?" A fabric colored exactly like the tree trunk fell to the ground, revealing a boy with dark purple hair and light brown eyes. His hair was tied back in a ponytail with a yellow scrunchie and a blue head wrap covering most of his head. He wore a matching, sleeveless blue jacket and blue loose fitting pants with black arm guards, a black belt, black leg wraps, and yellow tabi sandals. He wore a yellow scarf around his neck, an olive green sling bag over his chest, and a bandage across the bridge of his nose. "Ninja Leaf Shroud!"

The ninja boy pounded his hand into the ground, and a leaf tornado kicked up around him. When it subsided, he disappeared.

"Where did he go?" Ash mumbled, frantically searching the area.

A bush rustled nearby, and Froakie threw his frubbles at it. Another lump of frubbles cut through Froakie's and flew past him. He and Ash ran towards the bush. They ran threw it and looked around. Froakie's eyes traveled to a nearby pile of leaves, and he threw more frubbles at it. A Frogadier leaped from the pile and landed on a branch in a tree high up. He jumped across a few trees and, joined by the ninja boy, landed on the ground, their backs facing us.

"That was so cool!" Bonnie squealed.

The two turned to us. "I'm Sanpei, a young and skillful ninja." the boy said.

"My name is Ash." Ash said as he and Froakie approached Sanpei and Frogadier. "Your skills are pretty good. Care to test them against me in a battle?"

"Hm... I've been looking for an opponent suitable for my Frogadier to battle against, but I doubt your Froakie is powerful enough."

"You can't tell if you don't give us a chance."

Sanpei smirked. "Fine, then. I accept your challenge."

* * *

"The battle between Ash and Sanpei is about to begin." Clemont said, refereeing. Bonnie and Serena sat on a nearby boulder with the other Pokémon. I kept my distance to avoid anyone detecting my presence. "The battle will be over when either side's Pokémon is unable to continue. Are you ready?" Ash and Sanpei nodded. "Battle begin!"

"You may have the first move, Ash." Sanpei said.

"I accept! Froakie, use Bubble!" Froakie jumped into the air and spewed a column of bubbles at Frogadier.

"Dodge it." Frogadier jumped out of the way and landed high above on a tree branch.

"Chase after Frogadier and use Pound!" Jumping off rocks and trees, Froakie reached Frogadier and his paws glowed white. He swung his fist, but Frogadier dodged again and landed on another tree branch. "Try it again!"

Froakie chased Frogadier through the trees with glowing fists. Frogadier's speed made Froakie miss consecutively.

"Aim and use Water Pulse!"

Froakie perched on a tree branch and brought his hands together. A ball of water energy formed between his hands, and he watched Frogadier jumped from branch to branch. He threw the Water Pulse.

"Use Smokescreen!"

Frogadier spun rapidly as a cloud of smoke covered him. The Water Pulse cut through the smoke, but Frogadier was gone.

"Concentrate, Froakie. Use your instincts, then use Water Pulse!"

Froakie closed his eyes. After a few seconds, he opened them and turned to a nearby tree. He threw Water Pulse at it. However, a log tipped over and landed on the ground, covered with frubbles to imitate Frogadier's frubbles scarf. Behind him, Frogadier leaped from the water of the nearby pond.

"Use Bubble!"

"Counter with Bubble!"

Both attacks collided, but Frogadier's was stronger. His Bubble hit Froakie, and he stumbled back.

"Water Pulse!"

Frogadier reared back his arm as Water Pulse formed, and he threw it at Froakie.

"You use Water Pulse, too!"

Froakie threw his Water Pulse, and they collided. Frogadier's Water Pulse cut through Froakie's and it hit him. Froakie flew back, but he turned right-side up and landed on his feet.

"Frogadier's the evolved form of Froakie, so its strength is greater." Serena said.

"Evolution has nothing to do with this. We're gonna win using our spirit! Froakie, Water Pulse!"

"Use Quick Attack!"

Froakie threw the Water Pulse, but it swerved in a random direction as Frogadier leaped across the field and around Froakie.

"Dodge it-!"

Frogadier slammed into Froakie, and Froakie flew into a tree. He slumped to the ground.

"This battle is over." Sanpei said. "No one has ever withstood my Frogadier's Quick Attack and been able to continue battling."

" _I'm... not done..._ " Froakie groaned as he climbed to his feet.

"That's the spirit, Froakie!" Ash said. He turned back to Sanpei. "We're just getting warmed up."

"All right, then. Use Quick Attack one more time!"

Frogadier sprinted past Ash, kicking up a strong wind in his wake, and rushed towards Froakie. Froakie fell to one knee. Sanpei gasped.

"Ninja Leaf Shroud!" Sanpei slammed his hand into the ground, and a tornado of leaves engulfed Froakie. The tornado and Froakie disappeared, and Frogadier skidded to a stop.

"Froakie!" Ash cried.

"It was already over." Sanpei said, cradling Froakie in his arms. "Froakie just wouldn't quit."

Sanpei gave Froakie back to Ash.

"Thanks, Sanpei." Ash mumbled. Kneeling at the pond, Ash scooped up a handful of water and fed it to Froakie.

"We lost because I didn't come up with a good enough strategy." Ash said. "I let you down, Froakie. I'm sorry."

"That's correct. Not just strategy; your Froakie needs a lot more training." Sanpei said. He shoved an accusing finger at Ash. "You completely misread the way our battle progressed and Froakie trusted its own power far more than it should have! You were fortunate Froakie didn't take any more damage than it did."

Ash ground his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut. Sanpei approached him with a small, brown pellet.

"Let Froakie take this. It's a remedy formulated from Energy Root. It will replenish Froakie's energy."

Sanpei fed the remedy to Froakie. Froakie's eyes shot open, and he leaped into the air and flailed around. He landed on the ground and grumbled.

Sanpei laughed. "It's quite bitter, but the more the medicine is, you can bet that it'll definitely work." Froakie growled in disaggreement. "Well, we'd better get going."

"Wait." Ash said. Sanpei glanced over his shoulder. "In all my years of training, I've never seen a Quick Attack as amazing as the one Frogadier used. Please teach my Froakie how to use it. Won't you help us?"

Sanpei smiled. "All right. But my teaching methods are very strict. When I train a Pokémon, I train them hard and I train hard along with them."

"I'm right with you!" Ash said.

"I wanna be a ninja, too!" Bonnie cried, shooting her hand into the hair.

Serena pulled out her accessory box. "I can help you with that."

* * *

Bonnie twirled in her pink ninja outfit, consisting of a pink head wrap, a pink jacket and loose fitting pants, darker pink arm guards and leg wraps. She wore yellow tabi sandals and a toy sword strapped to her back. Her side ponytail poked out of her head wrap, as well as the tips of her bangs. Pikachu wore a yellow ninja suit, a slightly darker shade than his skin color, and Dedenne wore a white ninja suit. Both of them wore long, red scarves that fluttered when they moved.

"Hooray! I'm a ninja!" Bonnie squealed.

"You really look the part." Serena said.

"Thanks!" Bonnie, Pikachu, and Dedenne up and down the area, trying their best to be sneaky as their feet pounded against the dirt ground.

"The important thing about Quick Attack is, of course, being able to move quickly. And to do that, one must develop springy and flexible muscles." Sanpei said. He and Frogadier jumped a few times to demonstrate. "The first thing we need to do is work of strengthening your spring!"

Clemont chuckled and pushed his glasses up his nose. "I'd say it's time for me to step up! You'd better prepare yourselves for this! Clemontic Gear, on!" Clemont pulled off his backpack, reached inside, and pulled out two red, metal boots with gray springs attached to them. The toes of the boots looked like a frog, and the ends of the springs looked like the paws of a Froakie. Clemont slid the boots on, and the height of the boots made him almost as tall as me. "I call it my "Muscle Mass Magnifying Machine"! I thought we'd encounter a situation precisely like this one."

"Uh... okay? So, you put springs on your shoes." Bonnie said.

"Ah, but they're not normal springs. The basis of all exercise is increasing muscle strength. The springs I've equipped into these shoes multiply the power of your jumping by using your body weight in the process. Because of the added load of your body weight, they strengthen your leg muscles rapidly!"

"Wow, science is so amazing!" Ash gushed.

"Allow me to show you how it works." Clemont took a step towards Ash, but he blasted off into the air like Team Rocket.

Ash stifled a snicker. "Well, he disappeared really fast."

I sighed. _"Let's go find him."_

Zoroark laid over my shoulder, groaning in slothful protest. We separated from the group and ventured into the forest. Glancing over my shoulder, the rocky area where my friends were was no longer in sight. Zoroark and I turned visible. A gear hit Zoroark's head, and she yelped and looked up.

" _I found him._ " she said. I looked up, too, and saw Clemont dangling upside-down from a tree branch. The springs of his boots had snagged onto the branch. Clemont looked down, or in his case up, at us. His arms dangled above us head, and his face started to turn red from the blood rushing to it.

"Hi." he said, smiling sheepishly.

"At least we know how to get rid of Team Rocket the next time they bother us." I said.

Clemont chuckled, and the spring slid off the branch. He cried out as he plummeted to the ground. I reached out my arms and caught him bridal style.

* * *

"Training must proceed step-by-step." Sanpei said once he brought us to a cluster of boulders. Trees sprung up from the moss attached to the boulders, leaving a giant, natural mess of tangled roots and rocks. "Frogadier, please demonstrate for them our basic training method."

Frogadier leaped wildly between the rocks and branches, never missing a beat or losing his footing. His leaps were quick and precise.

"All right, Froakie, do you think you can keep up with Frogadier?" Sanpei said. Froakie nodded.

Froakie leaped onto the rocks and followed Frogadier.

"I am always one with my Pokémon! Always!" Sanpei said. He began to jump from side to side.

"Me, too!" Ash said as he jumped as well.

"Me, too!" Bonnie giggled as she, Pikachu, and Dedenne followed suit.

"You're not jumping fast enough!" Sanpei said over his shoulder to Ash, whose jumps were sluggish in comparison to his, as well as to Froakie, who lagged behind Frogadier.

"Keep it up, Froakie!" Ash said.

"Move faster!"

Bonnie groaned and collapsed to the ground, chest heaving. Pikachu and Dedenne placed a pile of leaves under her head to keep it from hitting the ground when she fell. "I'm beat."

Froakie's and Ash's jumped increased in speed.

"Well done!" Sanpei said, and Ash fell onto his butt. "Time for the next step."

Sanpei brought us to a lake. A watermill churned nearby. Bonnie, Dedenne, and Pikachu swam under, using reeds as snorkels to breathe.

"Next, we'll teach Froakie to run on water." Sanpei said.

"But running on water is scientifically impossible." Clemont said.

"I'm afraid your science is incorrect." Sanpei said. Clemont glared at him skeptically. "Frogadier, if you please."

Frogadier jumped onto the water and sprinted across the surface, his webbed feet splashing against the top. He made it to the nearest land patch, which was only about twenty feet from where we were.

Clemont adjusted his glasses and stared speechlessly.

"Surprised?" Sanpei said.

Clemont cleared his throat. "All right, so it's not impossible. But science still explains why Frogadier is even able to run across water." he said, which I assumed was his equivalency of sticking his tongue out at Sanpei.

"That was awesome!" Ash said. "Froakie, you give it a try."

Froakie leaped onto the water. For the first step, he managed to run on the surface, but his steps after that plunged him into the water. Frogadier laughed, and Froakie poked his head out of the water and glared at him.

"Okay, my turn!" Ash said.

 _"Uh..."_ I said.

Ash jumped into the water, and he immediately cannonballed into it. He lifted his head out of the water and coughed.

"You really thought _you_ could do that?" Bonnie said, swimming over to Ash.

Ash grumbled, producing bubbles in the water. He hoisted himself out of the water and shook himself out.

"The trick to being able to run over water is to make sure you move your feet quickly." Sanpei said.

"Let's give it another try." Ash said to Froakie.

Froakie leaped into the water again, only to have the same results. He sunk underneath the water, then a few moments later, hopped back out. He tried a few more times, but nothing worked.

" _Let me show you again._ " Frogadier said. He hopped onto the water and sprinted across, landing on the other side again. " _Now, try again._ "

"Go, Froakie!" Ash said.

Froakie jumped into the water again, and this time, he managed to stay on top of the surface. He ran over the water and to where Frogadier was. He jumped out and skidded to a stop.

"You did it, Froakie!" Ash called.

Froakie cheered and jumped into the air. Frogadier harrumphed and turned away, his paws on his hips. Froakie glared at him and growled.

"Nice work." Sanpei said. "Follow me."

Froakie and Frogadier ran back over to us, and we crossed the small bridge nearby and to the watermill.

"What are we gonna do next?" Ash said.

"Hm..." Sanpei paused and turned to us. He opened his mouth, but grumbling interrupted him. He and Ash clutched their stomachs.

"I suggest lunch." Serena said.

"It's NINJA LUNCH TIME!" Bonnie cried. With it coming from her, I couldn't help but chuckle.

* * *

"This is so great! What is this?" Sanpei muffled as he stuffed food into his mouth. Everyone else had finished, and they watched Sanpei eat.

"It's fried noodles." Clemont said.

Sanpei slurped up the noodles dangling from his mouth. "It's now my favorite food." he said before resuming with inhaling his dish. "I've heard about it from my friends at the Ninja Village. It's so good!"

"Try a cookie." Serena said, handing a plate of cookies to Sanpei. He accepted one and took a bite.

"This is the best cookie _ever_!" he gushed.

"Ninja Village? Is that your hometown?" Ash said as they cleaned up lunch. My friends laid in the grass under the shade of a large tree.

"That's right. It's also the home of my oldest brother, Ippei, who's by far the strongest man in Ninja Village. He's there with his Greninja. Then there's my other brother, Nihei, who lives in the Ninja Village as well with his Venusaur."

"Ippei, Nihei, and Sanpei." Bonnie giggled.

"My ultimate goal is to one day defeat both my brothers and assume the title of strongest ninja in Ninja Village once and for all."

"So, you left so you could train?" Ash said, laying next to Sanpei.

"Exactly. What about you?"

"I'm working hard to one day become a Pokémon Master."

"Even though your goals are different, you're both working as hard as you can to realize your dreams." Serena said.

* * *

"Ninja Leaf Shroud!" Bonnie said, assuming a flamingo stance. Pikachu threw a pile of leaves on her, and she buried herself in it.

Ash and Sanpei had returned from their third training session. We headed to a large, open meadow.

"Now, let's start working on the Quick Attack." Sanpei said.

"Finally!" Ash said.

"Frogadier, show them how it's done. Use Quick Attack!"

Frogadier sprint at high speeds towards a rock. It ran right through it, destroying the rock.

"I get it. Quick Attack generates so much power because it's done with so much speed." Clemont said.

"Why don't you give it a try?" Sanpei said.

"Right. Froakie, Quick Attack!"

Froakie ran towards a rock. He slammed into it. He jumped back, but nothing happened to the rock.

"Froakie's form is correct, but it still moves too slowly." Sanpei said.

"Okay, try again, Froakie." Ash said. Froakie ran towards the rock again. "Keep moving your feet!"

Froakie moved even faster. He slammed into the rock again, but still nothing happened.

"We're almost there!" Ash said.

"I still wouldn't call what Froakie did a Quick Attack." Sanpei said.

Frogadier approached Froakie to speak to him. Froakie's eyes darted to something in the distance, and it grabbed Frogadier's hand and pulled both of them back.

A giant, golden charm crashed into the ground.

"Prepare for trouble, hold on for dear life!" a voice echoed from the charm.

"And make it double, the serium's strife!" another voice said.

Zoroark and I both sighed while Team Rocket recited their motto. The dust subsided, revealing the Mega-Mega Meowth dressed in purple ninja clothes.

"Now, if you don't mind, we're going to add Froakie and Frogadier to our evil Pokémon ranks!" James said.

"What makes you think we're just gonna give them to you?" Ash said.

"We know you won't. Takin' them is much easier!" Meowth said.

Mega-Mega Meowth's gold charm emitted a blinding light, and we covered our eyes. It launched its hand at Froakie and Frogadier, but they jumped out of the way.

"Frogadier, frubbles!" Frogadier threw frubbles at Mega-Mega Meowth's gold charm and muffled the light. "Ash, Froakie and Frogadier need to put their strength together."

"I'm with ya." Ash said.

Mega-Mega Meowth shot ninja stars at Froakie and Frogadier.

"Use Quick Attack!" Both Bubble Frog Pokémon sprinted towards Mega-Mega Meowth, dodging the ninja stars. One of the stars hit Froakie, and he stumbled back. Frogadier continued to run, and he slammed into Mega-Mega Meowth's head. The large machine skidded back and caught its balance. It thrust its hand out, and a net shot from its palm and wrapped around Frogadier.

"Pikachu, use Iron Tail!"

Pikachu threw off his ninja costume and sprinted towards the Mega-Mega Meowth. He leaped into the air. The Mega-Mega Meowth expanded the net and captured Pikachu, too.

"Now, give Froakie to us, and we'll be on our way." Jessie said.

"No way! Froakie, use Quick Attack!" Ash said.

Froakie ran towards Mega-Mega Meowth. The machine shot a barrage of ninja stars at Froakie, and he dodged them. He roared, and multiple Froakies appeared in the meadow and ran alongside the real one.

"Double Team..." Ash gasped. "Use Water Pulse!"

All Froakies jumped into the air and, while Mega-Mega Meowth was confused with aiming, they attacked with multiple Water Pulses. One cut through the net and freed Frogadier and Pikachu.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

The attack connected, and Mega-Mega Meowth remained frozen while it crackled with electricity.

"Sanpei, let's finish this together." Ash said.

"Okay!" Sanpei said.

"Use Water Pulse!"

Frogadier and Froakie brought their hands together and raised them in the air, creating a giant Water Pulse, and they launched it into the Mega-Mega Meowth. The giant machine exploded, and Team Rocket blasted off into the air.

* * *

"We can't thank you enough for helping us." Sanpei said.

"I think we should be thanking you. Because of you, Froakie used Double Team." Ash said. "Thanks for all the great training."

"That was as amazing a Double Team as any I've ever seen either my brothers' Pokémon use."

"Thanks. Although it really started out a Quick Attack, but I guess that's okay."

"Froakie's Double Team should be very useful." Clemont said.

"It gives you another move to use in battle!" Serena said.

"When we meet again, let's have a battle." Ash said, holding a hand out to Sanpei.

Sanpei nodded with a smile. He grasped Ash's hand. "Until then, farewell, Ash. I wish you all good luck on your journey."


	14. Royal Pains

We crossed the large bridge hovering above a deep moat and through the stone gates into Camphrier Town.

"So this is Camphrier Town." Ash said.

"The Town Map says it's a place where you can taste the ages." Serena said.

"What does 'taste the ages' mean?" Bonnie said.

"It means the town has a wealth of history with a lot of old buildings still standing." Clemont said.

A loud, ear-piercing roar echoed through the air. We all clamped our hands over our ears, but the sound still penetrated. Just as suddenly as it happened, it stopped.

"What the heck was that?" Bonnie said.

Clemont noticed a woman sweeping the sidewalk. "Excuse me, but what was that awful sound just now?" he said. The woman didn't answer, like she completely ignored Clemont. He sweatdropped. "Excuse me?!"

The woman looked up and noticed us. "Huh?!" she said. She reached up and pulled a pair of earplugs out of her ears. "Sorry, what was that?"

"What was that noise that just went off?"

"Oh... Follow me." The woman picked up her broom and walked down the streets. The kids glanced at each other and we followed her. I noticed the citizens of the town setting up banners and decorations, chattering excitedly about what I assumed to be the same topic and the reason for all the hustle and bustle. The woman led us to the center of the town. "Look, over there."

In the town square, under a small canopy, was a sleeping Snorlax.

"I'm certain the sound you heard was its snoring." the woman said.

"But why is it sleeping in the middle of town?" Clemont said.

"This town and Snorlax have always had a symbiotic relationship. We help each other out. Every year, around this time, Snorlax comes down from the mountaintop to eat up all the crop roots that are leftover after we've finished our harvest."

"Wait... Isn't that a bad thing?" Serena said.

"Not at all! In fact, when Snorlax digs up the roots, it plows through the fields, which gives us a good harvest for next year. Then, when Snorlax is almost finished eating, we have a harvest festival to show Snorlax our gratitude for its help. At the close of the festival, the lord of Shabboneau Castle plays the Poké Flute and while Snorlax finishes up the town's offerings, and then it dances up to its mountaintop home."

 _"I'd pay to see a Snorlax dance."_ Zoroark said.

 _"That sounds more like something out of a children's storybook."_ I said.

"So is the festival getting ready to end?" Ash said.

"Well, actually..." the woman said. We noticed some kids trying to wake up Snorlax, but to no avail. "The town is all ready for the festival to begin, but the way things are, there's no way we'll be able to. We have a big problem that's keeping Snorlax from waking up. The lord of Shabboneau Castle, the one who plays the Poké Flute, refuses to come to this festival."

Snorlax snored again, creating another ear-shattering roar. Clemont tried to wake it up with an invention, but, as usual, it exploded in his face. Even the explosion didn't wake up Snorlax. Around me, the townspeople mumbled with concern.

"The only way Snorlax will be able to wake up is if the lord of Shabboneau Castle plays the Poké Flute." the woman said.

"Then why don't we ask him to come down?" Serena said.

"The townspeople have asked several times, but he always makes up an excuse for why he can't."

"Then we'll go and ask!" Ash said.

"You will?"

"If we tell him what's going on, he'll definitely say yes!"

* * *

"Hellooo?!" Ash called as we stood in front of the drawbridge to Shabboneau Castle. The bridge lowered, and an elderly servant approached us and bowed.

"Hello. How can I help you?" he said.

"We'd like to talk to Lord Shabboneau on behalf of all the people of Camphrier Town."

"Well, you certainly have traveled a long way. Please, come."

We entered the throne room. The end of the room was blocked off by a large curtain. Trumpets blared in my ears, and Zoroark yelped in surprise in the other.

"Presenting the master of this castle, Lord Shabboneau!"

The curtains separated.

 _"Oh, boy."_ I said.

Seated in the throne, kicking his stubby legs in the air, was a very short, very stout man with blond hair and beady blue eyes.

"Shabboneau Bon Bon!" Lord Shabboneau cried. "So tell me, what brings you to my castle?"

"We need your help. Please play the flute at this year's festival like you always do!"

Shabboneau tensed. He jumped out of his throne and walked away. "That is not up for discussion!"

"But Snorlax is asleep in the town square, and we need the Poké Flute to wake it up!" Clemont said.

Shabboneau whimpered from behind the curtain and peeked his head out. "I would if I could, but... no can do! I'm allergic to the flute now!"

"Then lend us the flute!"

"Uh- I've also developed a fear of flutes, so if I see it, I'll go mad! I threw it away!"

"Lord Shabboneau, you should just tell these kids what really happened." the elderly servant said.

"Oh, dear... All right, here's the truth. The Poké Flute _was_ at my castle at one time, but not now."

"What happened to it?!" Ash said.

"Princess Allie from the Parfum Palace in the next town visited my castle. She exclaimed, 'Oh, ho, ho! This Poké Flute is so pretty!', and took it home with her!"

"You just allowed her to take it?"

"You see, once Princess Allie makes up her mind, it's impossible to get her to change it." the elderly servant said.

"He's right!" Lord Shabboneau cried with animated tears.

"And you're just going to let that happen?" Clemont said.

"It's a family heirloom, isn't it?" Serena said.

"Sadly, yes! Princess Allie's father has been kind to me, so I couldn't put my foot down!" Shabboneau said.

Ash scowled. "Well, you can count on me to get it back from her. Then you can perform at the harvest festival."

Shabboneau clapped his hands together. "You will? Oh, thank you!"

* * *

We walked along the large hedge fence of Parfum Palace, the giant building poking up past it and into the sky.

"That's a big palace..." Serena said. She turned her head and noticed Bonnie's legs kicking out from the hedge, her upper body engulfed in it. "Bonnie, what are you doing?!"

Bonnie pulled herself out of the hedge, showing the small hole in the leaves. "We can get in through here!"

One by one, the kids wiggled through the small opening and into the palace garden. I transformed into a Lillipup for a brief moment in order to fit through the hole. As I headed over to the kids, I glanced around the giant garden. Hedges, fountains, trees, and statues littered the area.

"The garden is even bigger than the castle itself!" Serena said.

A Furfrou, its fur decorated with an exasperatingly large amount of pink, sprinted over to us and growled.

"Furfrou, stop at once!" a young, shrill voice cried.

We looked over at a group of maids holding baskets. They each grabbed a handful of rose petals and tossed them into the air before they separated. A young girl with long, red hair and pink eyes approached us with a devious smile. She wore a pink gown with a large yellow bow on the chest, pink boots with white tights, white opera gloves, and a tiara on her head. She held a fan in her hand, and she closed it with a harsh snap. Furfrou yipped happily and trotted over to the girl.

"Furfrou, you shouldn't be playing with all this trash! It'll give you a tummy ache!" she said, stroking Furfrou's head.

 _"Oh, great."_ Zoroark said. _"And I thought Shabboneau was ridiculous. Now we have to deal with a bratty seven-year-old."_

"Uh... Are you Princess Allie?" Clemont said, adjusting his glasses.

Allie let out a laugh as her maids surrounded her and showered her with rose petals. She opened her fan and held it to her face. "Indeed, I am Princess Allie! Parfum Palace is my home!"

"So lovely!" the maids cried in unison.

"Wow, you're a real princess?" Bonnie said with shimmering eyes.

"Looks like getting the Flute back might not be so easy..." Serena said.

"Please, Princess Allie, give us the Poké Flute back." Ash said.

"Not going to happen." Allie said, turning away from us.

"Why not?!"

"Because my things are my things, and things that are given to me are my things as well! So the Poké Flute is one of my things, and it's all mine!" Allie laughed again.

 _"UGH."_ Zoroark said.

 _"Talk about a real pain. Or, in this case, a_ royal _pain."_ I mumbled.

"But the town won't be able to have its harvest festival without the flute." Clemont said.

"And Snorlax is snoring so loud, the town can't get any sleep!" Serena said.

"If so, they should just go to their seaside villas and take a little nappy-poo!" Allie said, which was apparently ridiculously funny, for she and two of her made burst into laughter.

"Come on, Princess Allie! I can't let the people keep living like this!" Ash said.

"Oh?" Allie said from being her fan, a devious gleam in her eye. She came closer and examined Pikachu at an uncomfortably close distance. "Would this Pikachu belong to you?"

"Yeah, my partner."

"Every Pikachu has different size cheeks than other Pikachu. Yours has perfectly sized cheeks, and the roundness and redness are just right. Splendid!" Allie slapped her hands on Pikachu's cheeks and squished his face. She grabbed Pikachu and pulled him off Ash's shoulder. Pikachu squirmed in her arms. "Such a splendid and rare Pikachu is unworthy of _you_ , so I'll graciously accept it and treasure it like an heirloom!"

"What?! No way!" Ash snatched Pikachu away. "There's no way I'll give up Pikachu!"

Princess Allie pouted, and she snapped her fingers. A maid rolled a cart over covered with a cloth. She pulled the cloth off, revealing an array of jewels, gold, and treasures.

"What if I gave you all of these treasures for it?" Allie said.

Ash scowled. "You're out of your mind!"

Allie's pout deepened, then it grew into a sinister grin. "If I recall, you want the Poké Flute, correct?" she said.

"Yeah! Will you give it back?"

"Let's have a battle: Furfrou versus Pikachu. I suggest that we bet the Poké Flute _and_ Pikachu! This is your one and only chance to get your hands on that flute."

Pikachu's cheeks crackled with electricity, and it jumped to the ground.

"You're wanting to go through with this?" Ash said.

" _Heck yeah! I wanna kick this prissy girl's butt!_ " Pikachu said.

Ash smiled and looked up at Princess Allie. "All right, we accept your challenge."

"Excellent." Allie hissed.

* * *

Ash and Allie stood on opposite sides of the battlefield deep in the garden.

"If I win, you're gonna return that Poké Flute!" Ash said.

"Enough talk! Let's begin!" Allie said.

"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!" Pikachu charged up with speed, glowing white, and charged at Furfrou.

"This should be easy, Furfrou!" Princess Allie cackled. Furfrou charged at Pikachu. It jumped over Pikachu and smacked its back leg into his stomach, bringing the Quick Attack to a halt. Pikachu fell to the ground, sliding up to Allie.

"Pikachu, behind you!" Pikachu stood up and turned around as Furfrou charged again. "Iron Tail, let's go!"

"And now, Furfrou, use Bite!"

The Pokémon lunged at each other. Pikachu swung its tail at Furfrou, and Furfrou grabbed Pikachu's tail with its teeth. It whipped Pikachu onto the ground, but Pikachu caught himself and landed on his feet.

Princess Allie smirked. "Nice, but that's as far as you'll get! Let us scatter the roses' glorious bloom with stylish grace! Furfrou, use Charge Beam!"

 _"If this princess thing doesn't work out, Allie would make a great connoisseuse."_ Zoroark said. I crossed my arms.

Furfrou opened its mouth as a suddenly ray of energy formed and shot towards Pikachu.

"Pikachu, counter with Electro Ball!" Pikachu summoned a ball of electricity and met it with the Charge Beam, cancelling the move. "Now, use Thunderbolt!"

The attack hit Furfrou, and there was a crackling explosion. The smoke faded, and Furfrou's hair was giant from static.

Princess Allie shrieked with horror. "How dare you do that to my Furfrou!" she cried. She snapped her fingers, and a maid appeared at her side. "Take Furfrou to the groomer right away!"

Two maids carried Furfrou away on a stretcher.

 _"So... is the battle over?"_ I said.

"Princess Allie, are you forfeiting?" Clemont called from the referee balcony.

Princess Allie scoffed. "It can't be helped! My Furfrou can't battle looking so atrocious!"

"So that would mean a forfeit. Pikachu's the winner!"

"All right, we did it!" Ash cried as he and Pikachu jumped in the air. "Now it's time for you to give Lord Shabboneau's Poké Flute back."

"I will not return anything, since I lost!" Allie said.

Ash and Pikachu's jaws dropped in disbelief. "That wasn't the deal we made!" Ash cried.

"Ha! If you were listening, the only thing I said was we would be betting the Poké Flute and Pikachu in our battle, and nothing more. After I beat you, I would give you the Poké Flute! But since _you_ are the winner, I suggest you hand Pikachu over to me this instant!" Allie said as her maids giggled behind her.

Clemont growled as the light reflected off his glasses. "Let's go." he said to me as he ran down the steps.

"What kind of bet is that?!" Ash said. Serena and Bonnie agreed at his side.

"Well, I'm the princess of this palace, and that means I make all the rules!" Allie said.

Clemont stomped over to Allie. "Your unscientific selfishness might be tolerated at this palace, but not in the real world! We refuse your ridiculous demand!" he said, shoving an accusing finger in Allie's face. "Ash battled against you, even if it meant putting his precious partner on the line. Of course, he trusted that you'd give up the flute if he won. If you insist on acting so selfishly, I'm afraid you're not going to have any friends left!"

Princess Allie's eyes shook, and she whimpered, hiding her face behind her fan.

" _I think you took it a little too far._ " I said.

"Don't you think that was a little harsh, Clemont?" Bonnie said.

"Somebody needed to tell her the truth!" Clemont said.

"It's all right... He scolded me with must sincerity..." Princess Allie said. She closed her fan, revealing a smile. "That must mean you really care about me a great deal, don't you?"

"I _what_?!"

Princess Allie stepped uncomfortably close to Clemont, fluttering her eyelids. "I truly understand. There's no need for words."

"You _don't_ understand!" Clemont said, backing away.

"I don't?!" Allie pouted for a few moments before her grin returned. She covered her mouth with her fan. "I suppose you can have the Poké Flute back... Under one condition."

 _"I don't like where this is going..."_ Zoroark said.

"I am not giving you Pikachu!" Ash said.

"In exchange for the Poké Flute... I insist that you leave this one with me!" Allie said, winking at Clemont.

" _WHAT_?!" Clemont cried.

 _"Yeah, what?"_ Zoroark said. _"A bit indecisive, aren't you?"_

" _I have an idea._ " I said, placing my hand on Clemont's shoulder. I transformed into Bonnie while still invisible. "You can take him! Go ahead!" I then changed into Serena. "He's all yours!"

Behind me, I heard Bonnie and Serena mumble to each other. I changed back into my original, invisible self. Allie smiled and snapped her fingers.

"All right, it's settled." she said.

"What are you doing?!" Clemont whispered. Allie rushed to Clemont's side and hugged his arm.

" _Just relax. I know what to do._ " I said.

* * *

~TPPOV~

"Isn't this so romantic?" Princess Allie sighed.

"Yeah. My heart is pounding." Clemont said monotonously. His arms were crossed and he wore a bored expression.

"I knew you'd feel the same way!" Allie hugged Clemont tightly, and he gasped for breath. Gently, he pried her off. "The fireworks are about to start! There's only one thing that could make this moment perfect!"

"And... what's that?"

Princess Allie turned to Clemont with a flirtatious flutter in her eyelashes. She stood on her toes and leaned closer, puckering her lips.

Clemont's eyes widened, and he scowled at Allie with disbelief. As her mouth came closer to his, he lifted his hand and smushed it against her face. Princess Allie muffled a cry as Clemont shoved her face back.

"Uh... no." Clemont said. "I didn't expect this as a part of my role."

"Role? What are you talking about?" Princess Allie said with a shocked pout.

Clemont flashed a cheeky grin. "Sorry, Princess, but your little fairy tale is over. See ya!"

Clemont backed up to the edge of the balcony, saluted sarcastically, and backflipped over it. Princess Allie cried out, and she rushed to the balcony, expecting to see Clemont laying broken in the garden below.

But Clemont was gone.

"Clemont?" Princess Allie said, the worry in her tone changing to anger. She fumed and smacked her fan against the balcony so hard it broke in half. "CLEMONT!"

Hidden in the shadows, Clemont glanced up at the underbelly of the balcony with a chuckle. His body glowed green as he morphed into Rylee. Rylee shook her head and summoned a platform of Protect.

"What a drama queen." she said, laughing at Princess Allie's tantrum. She hopped onto the Protect and flew over the hedge fence and towards Camphrier Town.


	15. Officially Offical

"Let's see..." Serena said, her fingers running over her Town Map. "In order to get to the Pokémon Center, we pass through this forest."

"Whoa..." Ash said, stopping to look at a couple of giant satellites in the distance. "What's that?"

"That's a radio observatory. It's a facility that receives radio waves from outerspace. Then, it automatically analyzes those waves utilizing the latest, state-of-the-art, high-technology equipment!" Clemont said.

 _"I can hear his inner fangirl screaming."_ Zoroark said. _"Also, I caught none of that."_

A bush rustled nearby, and we turned to see Meowth from Team Rocket stumbling out of the bushes.

"Hey, you lugs!" he cried, collapsing to the ground. His face was covered with scratch marks. "Help me!"

"Meowth?! What happened?!" Ash said, lifting him into his arms.

"He's hurt! We need first aid!" Clemont said. "I'll take care of him."

"Do you need any help?" Bonnie said.

"No, thanks. I can do this on my own."

Clemont took Meowth from Ash, avoiding the unusual, stern look in his eyes. Clemont propped Meowth against the roots of a tree and pulled out a white cloth. I summoned a small orb of Heal Pulse and crushed it in my hand. I spread the particles over the cloth, leaving an orange and pink shimmer to it. Clemont laid the cloth over Meowth's head. After a few seconds, he lifted the cloth. The scratches closed and healed.

"Whoa." Serena said. "What kind of medicine was that?"

"Just a special Potion that I have on hand." Clemont said. "I guess it really works wonders."

Meowth opened his eyes, and when he saw us, he yelped and tried to stand up. However, his strength was depleted, and he fell back onto his butt.

"Don't move. You need to rest." Clemont said. "Here."

Clemont handed Meowth a cup of water, and Meowth drank it ravenously.

"You lugs saved my life! I owe you big time!" Meowth said.

"Really? If you ask me, you're just trying to trick us again." Bonnie pouted.

"Me? Perish the thought! Did those injuries look fake to you?! I'm on the level, no doubt! I came all this way to tell you you're in danger!"

"Danger? What are you talking about?" Ash said.

"Just thinkin' back on everything gives me the creeps! It was like the worst nightmare anybody could have!"

I stepped closer to Meowth, and gently touched the tip of his charm while he explained. Images flooded into my mind, and I saw Team Rocket standing in a dark cave. They turned around and saw a woman dressed in a black cloak, a Malamar close to her side, emerge from the shadows. Malamar grinned, and its body glowed with a bright light.

 _"From this point on, you are all my servants. You will obey my every command."_ the woman said.

The eyes of Jessie and James narrowed for a few seconds, but they quickly shook their heads and scowled.

 _"I don't know who you think you are, but we don't take orders from pushy big-mouths!"_ Jessie said.

 _"There's only one boss who's our boss, and that's the one and only Boss!"_ Meowth said.

Jessie and James summoned Pumpkaboo and Inkay, ordering them to attack. However, Malamar's sneer widened as its body glowed again. Inkay and Pumpkaboo's eyes turned yellow, and they floated silently in the air.

 _"You can forget about that. Your Pokémon won't attack my Malamar and they won't attack me, Madame X, either."_ the woman said.

Malamar's body light brightened, and I watched Jessie, James, and Wobbuffet fall under the same hypnosis, their eyes going blank. Meowth extracted his claws and began tearing at his face, inflicting pain in order to resist being mind-controlled.

 _"A clever strategy."_ Madame X said to Meowth. _"Get him."_

 _"Yes, Madame."_ Jessie and James said as they, Pumpkaboo, Inkay, and Wobbuffet turned to Meowth. Meowth screamed and ran out of the cave.

The images faded, and I withdrew my hand.

 _"Madame X? Who's that?"_ I said.

 _"I know the whole mind-control thing is a big, bad thing, but considering she used that power on someone as stupid as Team Rocket, Madame X isn't convincing me."_ Zoroark said.

"We can't just sit here yappin'! Madame X is comin' to get her hooks on Pikachu next! You better scram!" Meowth said. The kids didn't budge; instead, they glared at him with disbelief.

"Blah, blah! I still think _you're_ trying to trick us and catch Pikachu!" Bonnie said.

"Bonnie's right, but you won't fool us this time!" Serena said.

" _He's not lying._ " I said, gripping Clemont's shoulder.

Clemont's face softened, and he nodded. "I believe him."

"You do? Why?!" Bonnie said.

"Sure, Team Rocket has tried many times to catch Pikachu, but coming up with something as farfetched as a mind-controlling Malamar, as ridiculous as it sounds, still is serious. For now, we should trust Meowth."

We heard groaning from the trees, and Jessie and James emerged, their eyes yellow, blank, and creepy.

"They're being controlled! Let's get out of here!" Meowth said.

The kids stepped to turn around, but came face-to-face with Madame X and Malamar.

"So that's the famous Pikachu. A strong-looking Pokémon indeed." Madame X said. "I think I'll make you my servant right now. Malamar!"

Malamar's body glowed with its mind-controlling light, and the kids looked away. Pikachu used Electro Ball, but Madame X side-stepped out of the way. The impact created a cloud of smog and dust.

"Come on, let's scram while the going's good!" Meowth cried.

We ran a couple of steps down the path.

"Leaving so soon?" Jessie said as she and James floated in front of us with Malamar's Psychic. "Pikachu will now become a member of our Pokémon Patrol."

"Pokémon Patrol?" Ash said.

"Unstoppable. Destined to take over the world, with our beloved Madame X on the throne to rule it all!" James said.

Wobbuffet crept up behind Bonnie. She yelped and gripped Serena's hand. I clenched my fist and drove it into Wobbuffet's face, causing it to stumble back and fall to the ground. Pikachu glowed with Psychic and was lifted off Ash's shoulder.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried.

I shot my arms out, encasing Pikachu in a ball of Protect. Pikachu looked around in confusion. I tucked my arms in, creating a resisting force to Malamar's Psychic as I tried to pull him back.

"What...?" Ash said.

" _Give him back._ " I growled.

Madame X grit her teeth. "Do you really think you can try and stop me?"

Madame X lifted her hand, and Malamar used Hyper Beam at the kids. I gasped and thrust my arms towards them. The Protect around Pikachu faded, and it was carried away with Madame X and Team Rocket. Another wall of Protect formed in front of the kids, and the Hyper Beam was blocked. I dispelled the Protect, clenching my fists as Madame X and Malamar flew away.

"None of you guys did that... right?" Serena said.

"No..." Clemont said.

Ash stared up at the sky with a mixture of negative emotions flaring in his eyes. He clenched his fists and turned around.

"We gotta get Pikachu back!" he said. "Madame X must be stopped."

"You said it!" Bonnie said. "But where did she go?"

"Perhaps she's nearby." Clemont said.

 _"Zoroark, follow them. Stay invisible; I don't want you to get mind-controlled, too."_ I said.

Zoroark nodded, and her weight lifted off my shoulders as hurried into the trees. I watched a faint magenta light glow in the distance, and Zoroark took off into the sky as a Fletchling. I gripped Clemont's chin and pointed it in the direction of Zoroark.

"Let's go this way." Clemont said, pointing down the way. "Madame X went that way, so that might be where her hideout is."

Bonnie and Serena nodded, and they walked ahead.

"Clemont." Clemont turned around and face Ash, his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. "I need to talk to you."

"Um... okay?" Clemont said nervously.

" _I'll go on ahead._ " I said, and I followed Serena and Bonnie.

* * *

~TPPOV~

"What's up, Ash?" Clemont said after everyone else had gone ahead.

"I want to know what's going on." Ash said.

Clemont raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? A Malamar just kidnapped Pikachu and rode away with it!"

"That's not what I meant." Ash took a step, looming closer to Clemont's face. "What are you hiding from me?"

Clemont leaned back and gulped. "I-I don't know what you mean."

"You think I haven't noticed? The random Pokémon appearing out of nowhere and helping us out, your lagging behind is even worse than usual, and ever since my journey began, I've been able to hear Pokémon again. That Protect from Prism Tower and now both looked awfully familiar." Ash said, his eyes darkening. "Need I go on?"

"I-I-I'm just as confused by all of this as you are!"

"I find that hard to believe. It seems like you're the one who's _least_ confused by all of this; like you know why these things are happening and where they're coming from... or _who_ they're coming from."

By now, Clemont was sweating buckets. He adjusted his glasses, the light reflecting off and hiding his shaking eyes. "I can assure you, Ash, that I d-don't know what's happening. As far as I'm concerned, whatever is doing this is helping us. Why would you question that?"

Clemont took a step back, but he snagged his heel on a tree root. He cried out and flailed as he fell back.

Ash reached out and grabbed Clemont's hand. He yanked him back up to his feet. Clemont yelped and stumbled forward, catching his balance and standing up.

"Thanks..." Clemont said, but Ash was already starting to walk away. Once Ash disappeared into the trees, Clemont sighed and gripped his backpack straps until his knuckles turned white.

* * *

~RYLEE~

"The road ends at this fence." Serena said. "And beyond it is the radio observatory."

I felt a weight on my shoulder and Zoroark's small, Zorua tail stroking my ear.

 _"They're in there."_ she said.

 _"Good. Glad to know you didn't get caught."_ I said.

 _"Unlike you, I'm a little more cautious."_

I rolled my eyes and scanned the field around the observatory. Clemont and Ash returned to our sides. Each looked very tense; Ash with anger and Clemont with nerves.

 _"Geez, I wonder what happened in that little talk."_ I said.

I noticed something in a warehouse near us. I looked and saw Officer Jenny's motorcycle.

 _"Is Officer Jenny here investigating, too?"_ Zoroark said.

I gripped Clemont's shoulder. " _They're definitely in here. Look over at the warehouse._ "

Clemont didn't respond. In fact, he tensed even more at my touch. He looked in the opposite direction, trying to casually scan the area.

"Hey, look, is that Officer Jenny's motorcycle?" Bonnie said, directing everyone's attention to the vehicle. It was then that Clemont turned his head.

"Maybe this is where Madame X's hideout is!" Meowth said.

"Could be. Maybe Officer Jenny got a report and came here to investigate." Clemont said.

Serena called out Fennekin and had it use Ember on the fence. A hole opened, and the smell of burning pennies filled my nose. We crept through the hole and through the field, towards the radio observatory.

I heard a faint sound of whirring, and I followed the noise to a security camera following us. I summoned a small ball of Hyper Beam and threw it at the camera, cracking the lens. The camera powered down and drooped its head.

 _"Madame X knows we're here."_ Zoroark said. _"We'd better be careful."_

I nodded, and we continued walking. Each time I saw a security camera, I destroyed it with Hyper Beam. We entered the radio observatory, the door unlocked, and entered the dark hallways. We entered a fork in the path, two ways going the opposite direction.

"Bonnie and I will head down this way." Clemont said, and he and Bonnie walked down one way. " _All_ of you should go the other way."

 _"Is he talking to us, too?"_ I said.

 _"I think so."_ Zoroark said.

Serena, Ash, Meowth, and I walked down one pathway while Clemont and Bonnie went down the other.

"Do you think Officer Jenny might really be here?" Serena said.

"Who knows? If so, perhaps Madame X has already gotten her hands on her." Meowth said. Serena whimpered quietly.

We entered a large room. Judging by the colored walls of galaxies and stars, we were in the center of the observatory. Broken glass lined the floor, and a giant, glowing meteor sat in the middle of the floor.

"What is that?" Ash said.

"I don't know..." Serena said. "Oh, I hope Clemont and Bonnie found something."

We heard footsteps, and Bonnie and Clemont stepped out from behind the meteor and approached us.

"Negative. I haven't found a trace of them." Clemont said, his eyes covered by a glaze in his glasses.

"Ash, Serena, let's all continue looking together." Bonnie said, her voice monotonous.

 _"Oh, no..."_ I said. I ran over and shook Clemont's shoulders. " _Clemont, snap out of it!_ "

He couldn't hear me; the mind-control drowned out my voice. I heard a snicker and saw a faint light glowing behind me. I growled and flared my eyes, turning them purple. I turned around and glared at Malamar, whose body glowed. I fixated my eyes on its sinister grin. Zoroark squeezed her eyes shut and turned around, her butt right next to my face.

"Don't look at the light!" Ash said as he, Meowth and Serena shielded their eyes. "Meowth, use Fury Swipes on me!"

"Right!" Meowth said, extracting his claws. He jumped up and use Fury Swipes on his and Ash's faces, covering both of them with scratches. He turned to Serena. "Your mug's next!"

"No! I don't want my face to end up all scratched like that!" Serena said.

" _Then allow me._ " Malamar said, his body glowing brighter. Serena screamed as she looked at the light, but her scream died down to silence and her eyes glazed over.

"We gotta scram outta here, quick!" Meowth said.

"But how?" Ash said, dodging Serena as she tried to grab him. He looked up and noticed a giant planet dangling above Malamar. "Meowth, use Fury Swipes and cut that planet down!"

Meowth jumped into the air and swiped at the rope holding the planet up. It fell down towards Malamar. Malamar raised its tentacles and used Psychic to stop the planet's fall. While it was occupied, Ash, Meowth and I ran out of the room and down the hallway. At the door, I cast Protect over the opening to try and seal Malamar inside and give us a head start.

"Dig it! Now maybe we'll finally get the chance to stop all of Madame X's plans to take over the world and save our buddies at the same time!" Meowth said in one breath.

We ran into another large room.

"Where are we?" Ash said.

"It's way too dark to tell, but I think we're in the building's monitoring room." Meowth said. We ran down a small staircase and into the center of the room.

As we looked around, I noticed a faint light flash behind me. We turned around and saw Madame X standing on top of a pile of desks and computers, a single light on her.

"You thought correctly." she said, seated on top of a television. Pikachu sat on her lap, his eyes white and glazed. Team Rocket and their Pokémon stood at the bottom of the mountain.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried.

"Show them your power." Madame X said. Pikachu jumped down to the ground. His cheeks crackled with electricity. He jumped up and used Thunderbolt, directly hitting Ash. Ash cried out in pain and fell to the ground.

"Twerp!" Meowth said.

"Why did Pikachu attack me...?" Ash said.

"Check out the eyes. Pikachu's been hypnotized by Malamar!"

"Pikachu has become my faithful and obedient servant. Now, stop them once and for all!" Madame X said.

Pikachu charged with Quick Attack and rammed into Ash's stomach. Ash tumbled backwards. Next, it used Iron Tail, and Ash rolled out of the way and scrambled to his feet. Pikachu charged again.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried, but Pikachu couldn't hear. The Iron Tail slammed into Ash, and he screamed in agony.

 _"Ash! No!"_ I cried.

"Pikachu can't hear you! Malamar's hypnosis is too strong!" Meowth said.

"No! I don't believe you!" Ash said, sitting up. "Pikachu's still my number one partner and my friend. I know you can hear me, Pikachu!"

"Give it up, Ash." I looked and saw Serena, Bonnie, and Clemont entered the room with Malamar behind them.

"No matter how hard you fight, you cannot resist Madame X." Bonnie said.

"The world now belongs to Madame X, with Pikachu and the Pokémon Patrol." Clemont said, pointing to a door on the other side of the room from them.

The door slowly opened, and an army of large Pokémon was behind it: Pangoro, Beedrill, Exploud, Scolipede, and Noivern. They approached us.

Behind us, Madame X laughed. "Finish them, Pikachu!"

Pikachu jumped into the air, its body consumed with electricity.

"Pikachu, no!" Ash cried. He took a step back, but he tripped and fell. He shielded his face with his arms to brace himself.

Pikachu shot Thunderbolt at Ash.

"Enough!" I lunged in front of Ash and shot out my arm, creating a shield of Protect. The Thunderbolt collided as Zoroark and I turned visible. Ash gasped behind me. I dispelled the Protect and glared at Madame X. "Let my friends go."

"Ah, so you're the one who's been helping these bugs." Madame X said. "You'll make a lovely addition to the Patrol."

"Guess again." I said. "Doublade! Sylveon!"

I unclipped one PokéBall as another automatically opened. Throwing the one in my hand into the air, it opened, too. Aegislash emerged and transformed into Doublade. I reached up and clutched the handles of the two swords. Light surrounded me, and my regular clothes disappeared and were replaced by my Pokémon Guardian armor. Next to me, my Sylveon stood next to Zoroark, her blue fur bristling. Zoroark jumped into the air, glowing magenta, and transformed into her original self.

"He's still in there." I said over my shoulder. Ash's shaky eyes stared at me. "Reach out to Pikachu. You can snap him out of it."

Ash gulped and slowly nodded. He turned to Pikachu and slowly crawled towards him.

"You cannot reach Pikachu; it is under _my_ control." Madame X said.

"Correction- it's under Malamar's control." I said, and I turned towards Malamar. "Madame X isn't the threat, you are. I'm taking you down."

Malamar smirked. " _I'd like to see you try._ "

Malamar shot Hyper Beam at me, and I countered it with my own. Malamar smirked and pressed its attack harder against mine. I grit my teeth.

"Zoroark, Shadow Ball! Sylveon, Dazzling Gleam!"

Zoroark brought her hands close together and formed a ball of pulsing darkness. Sylveon's ribbon-like feelers floated in different directions in the air as a blinding light pierced the room, stunning Malamar. I rolled out of the way and summoned AncientPower in my hands. All at once, we launched our attacks at Malamar. It cried out as the attacks directly hit its torso. Malamar fell to the ground.

Around me, I heard the confused grunts of Team Rocket and my friends as the mind control wore off. Madame X screamed in agony and she fell backwards off the mountain of desks.

"Rylee?" Clemont said, his eyes wide.

I glanced over my shoulder again. Ash held Pikachu tightly in his arms, his eyes still fixed on me. His shock kept him from moving. I smiled and fully turned to him.

"Hi, Ash." I said.

Ash opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn't find his voice.

"Look! There's Madame X!" Bonnie cried.

Madame X groaned as she climbed to her feet. Her head lulled back, and her cloak fell off, revealing a very familiar-looking woman.

"Officer Jenny?!" Serena said.

Jenny blinked several times, sweat trickling down her forehead. "What am I... doing?" she said. "I got a report that strange things were going on here. I hurried over here right away, and then I ran into..."

Malamar cackled as he floated in the air once again.

" _I must thank you again, Officer Jenny, for doing all of my dirty work._ " Malamar said.

"So you're the mastermind that was behind all of this. Madame X isn't real; she was just a ploy for your schemes!" I said.

" _Correct, girl. I no longer need Jenny. She did everything I needed to create my new weapon._ "

"Weapon? What weapon?"

Malamar chuckled. " _You'll see soon enough. Once I use it to take over the world, you, as well as the rest of your pitiful species, will be my subjects._ "

"Enough of your rubbish! Inkay, Psybeam!" James cried.

"Sylveon, Fairy Wind!"

The two Pokémon attacked Malamar, creating a large cloud of smoke. Malamar flew out from the top and out of the room.

"Hey! Get back here!" Bonnie cried.

We chased after Malamar into another large room. The area was lit with purple light, and I gasped at the disgusting roots and vines that wove together, looking like corpses.

"What... is this?" Serena said.

"The new weapon." Officer Jenny growled.

Malamar smiled. " _That's right. This is how the new world,_ my _new world, starts. This is only the beginning of my grand design._ " he said. " _Unfortunately, now that you've discovered me, I have to destroy all my hard work._ "

The ceiling exploded. I jumped away from a falling piece of shriveled weapon.

"Let's get out of here!" I cried. Everyone sprinted towards the exit. I stopped at the door and glared at Malamar.

Malamar chuckled. " _Your strength is impressive. Perhaps when this world decays and a new one begins, I'll place you at the head as my queen._ "

I grit my teeth, trying to hide the disgusted shivers creeping down my spine.

" _Until we meet again, girl._ " Malamar disappeared within the smoke.

I clenched my fist and ran down the hallway. I passed by the monitoring room, and I gasped and skidded to a halt. I ran back into the room, where the other Pokémon that were under Malamar's control looked around in a confused panic.

"We have to get out of here. Come with me!" I said.

I led the Pokémon outside, where the others were. As we ran, the radio observatory exploded. A giant, heated wind, filled with debris, hit us, and we clung to the ground to avoid being blown away. The wind died down, and we looked up as Malamar flew out of the rising smoke, its sinister chuckle echoing as it flew away.

"The beginning of its grand design..." Officer Jenny said. "That Malamar is a dangerous Pokémon..."

"At least everything is all better, for now." Serena said.

"Yes. I thank you all for helping to stop Malamar's plan and for freeing me." Officer Jenny saluted us. "Take care!"

Officer Jenny hopped onto her motorcycle and drove away. I watched her disappear down the road, feeling the heat of many eyes on me. I took a deep breath and turned around, meeting my eyes with Ash's.

"Rylee..." he said quietly. His eyes shook.

I mustered up a small smile. "It's nice to see you."

"So, all of that stuff that we've been through was you?"

I nodded. "I came here as part of my mission. You know, since I'm a Pokémon Knight now."

"Right..."

I lowered my eyes to the ground. "I'm sorry... I couldn't show myself to you. It would be like... like Unova all over again."

There was silence for a few moments. I felt Ash's body collide with mine, and his arms wrapped around my waist. I recoiled in surprise.

"I'm glad you're here, Rylee." Ash said. "I missed you."

I sighed in relief and hugged Ash, wrapping my arms around his shoulders and holding him tightly.

"I missed you, too." I said.

Ash pulled away and smiled. Pikachu hopped onto my free shoulder.

" _Yeah! People can understand me again!_ " Pikachu said.

I giggled and turned to Serena, Bonnie, and Clemont.

"Does that mean you're an official part of the group?" Clemont said.

I nodded. "Yes."

"So cool!" Bonnie jumped in the air. "And your Sylveon is the cutest thing I've ever seen!"

Sylveon approached my side, her ribbonlike feelers wrapping around my arm tenderly. Bonnie ran over and pet Sylveon's head; Sylveon purred.

"She's so adorable!" Bonnie said. "Could you keep her out more often? _Please_?"

"Bonnie, you already have Dedenne to look after." Clemont said.

"It's okay." I said. I crouched down to Bonnie's height. "Sylveon does like to be outside more often. If I keep her out, will you promise to help me keep an eye on her?"

"Yes!" Bonnie cried, her eyes sparkling. "I love her blue fur!"

"That means she's one-of-a-kind, just like you."

Bonnie beamed and hugged Sylveon. I stood up straight and turned to Ash and the others, who looked at me with big smiles.

"So, Rylee? Are you ready for another adventure together?" Ash said, holding his hand out to me.

I stared between Ash and his hand. I took a deep breath as my mind filled with troubled thoughts- or memories, to be more accurate. I already knew the pain of going through such a beautiful journey, only to have it ripped away from me. Would I have to face that again? If I did, would I be able to handle it?

I shifted my eyes over to Clemont, who watched me with a warm smile. He nodded in agreement to Ash's question. The shimmer in his eyes filled me with sad nostalgia; it looked so familiar.

I looked back at Ash and smiled. I gripped his hand firmly.

"I thought you'd never ask." I said.


	16. Mega Evolution Special I

~N~

" _Attention, ladies and gentlemen,_ " the pilot announced over the intercom, " _if you look outside, you'll see our destination coming in: the Kalos region! Thank you again for flying with us, and we hope to see you again!_ "

I closed my book and looked outside my window. The clouds below parted, and I was able to catch sections of the giant Kalos region. Many cities were scattered across the land, and areas that weren't occupied by metropolises were by forests and green fields. Lumiose City, the largest and most densely populated city in the region, was obvious to spot. Prism Tower pointed clear into the heavens. My eyes were distracted by a flock of Wingull that flew beside the plane. Below me, many different kinds of Water-type Pokémon swam in the large, blue ocean: Lapras, Goldeen, Wailord, Floatzel, Basculin, and countless others glided along the surface.

The plane landed on the airport's runway. It came to a gradual halt, making me lurch slightly forward from sudden lack of momentum. I stood up, set my book down, and followed the other passengers out of the plane. The flight attendants bid us farewell with bright smiles. I walked down the staircase, pausing to look around. I adjusted the brim of my cap to block the sun from my eyes, and I headed for the airport.

You may be wondering to yourselves, "N! What on earth are _you_ doing in the Kalos region?" I know Rylee was sent here to travel with her old friend, Ash, as he went about his adventure in this land. I was sent here, too; Rylee will need back-up at some point. I doubt that she has already encountered anything having to do with Team Flare. She will eventually come face-to-face with them, but I was tasked to go deeper into the matter.

With hands in my pockets and head bowed to block the sun, I walked outside. Passing by many civillians and their Pokémon, I exited the city and headed into the forest. Ahead of me, I saw smoke rising from the ground.

"Uh, oh." I mumbled. I broke into a run towards the smoke. I came to a wide field, and I immediately had to duck to avoid a Psycho Cut zooming right for me. It hit a tree behind me. Staying hidden within the bushes, I watched two trainers standing in the field, one boy and one girl. The boy had a Charizard and the girl had an Absol. I noticed strange necklace pieces around the Pokémons' necks.

"You're strong. I know you can do better." the boy said, holding up his wrist, showing off a Mega Ring. In the center of the Mega Ring was a Key Stone, similar to the Mega Stone attached to Charizard's necklace.

The girl chuckled and touched a Key Stone hanging from her ear. "All right, then!" Yellow energy burst from the Key Stone, and the Mega Stone around Absol's neck reacted with blue energy. The two energies connected, turning into a bright light. "Absol, Mega Evolve!"

The light surrounded Absol as its body was consumed with a magenta light. The light faded, and Absol still stood. However, its appearance was different. The hair framing its face was longer, covering the left side of its face, wings extended off its back, and the horn on its head was bigger.

"Mega Absol! How do you like it?" the girl said with a smirk.

"It's the first time I've ever seen an Absol." the boy said calmly.

"All right, then! Let's see what you got!"

"Right! Key Stone, respond to my heart! Beyond evolution! Mega Evolve!" The boy touched his Key Stone. Light consumed Charizard as the energy from the Key Stone and Mega Stone connected. The Light faded, revealing Mega Charizard. Its skin was black, something I raised my eyebrows at with intrigue. Blue fire bellowed from its mouth, its wings were significantly larger, and spikes adorned its shoulders, wings, head, and tail.

 _Mega Evolution... Fascinating._ I thought. Before I came here, my father, Brand, taught me about the phenomenon. Exclusive to only Kalos at the moment, it is apparently an ultimate form for Pokémon. Some Pokémon who have already reached their final evolution form can evolve even further. In order to Mega Evolve, a Pokémon needs to have a special Mega Stone and their trainer needs to have a Key Stone. I've been told that, despite having the required materials, if the trainer and Pokémon don't have a strong bond, they won't be able to achieve Mega Evolution.

"This is Mega Charizard, my strongest Pokémon." the boy said.

"It's pretty cool with that black coloring." the girl said.

"Thanks. We're honored by your words of praise. All right, Steel Wing, let's go!"

Mega Charizard leaped into the air and its wings doubled in span as they were consumed with silver light. It zoomed for Mega Absol.

"Intercept, Mega Absol! Mega Horn!"

Mega Absol's horn doubled in size and glowed blue. It lunged, and the two attacks collided. I cringed from the blast of wind created from the impact. Mega Absol pushed Mega Charizard back. Mega Charizard charged again, hitting Mega Absol.

"Whoa..." a voice said that made me jump. I turned my head and saw a young girl with red hair and light brown eyes. She wore a yellow, long-sleeved shirt, a small poncho on her shoulders, green cargo capris with brown suspenders, gray socks, and brown loafers. She wore a yellow handkerchief tied around her neck, a bracelet on her right wrist, and a green hat with light brown triangles and a white puffball on the top. A Chespin stood at her side. "What kind of Pokémon are they?"

"Mega Charizard and Mega Absol." I said.

The girl's eyes went cross-eyed. " _Mega_ Charizard? What are you talking about? What's going on? And who are you?"

"You're a curious one. Just watch the battle, all right? Oh, and my name is N."

"Nice to meet you, N! I'm Mairin! This is my partner, Chespie!"

 _"Hiya!"_ Chespie cried. I smiled and tuned into the battle again.

"Dragon Claw, let's go!"

Mega Charizard thrust out its arms as they were consumed with blue claw-shaped energy, creating a mighty wind. It charged at Mega Absol.

"Dodge it!" Mega Absol was too slow, and Mega Charizard slammed its claws into it. It slid far back, taking down many trees and leaving a long skidding mark. The girl stood, breathless. "Such power..."

"Now, use Flamethrower!"

A massive column of flesh-melting fire burst from Mega Charizard's mouth. It hit Mega Absol, consuming the greenery around it with flames. The smoke from the fire cleared, and Mega Absol was still standing amidst a graveyard of plants.

"Way to hang in there! Now, use Dark Pulse!"

Mega Absol sprinted at blinding speeds towards Mega Charizard. It jumped into the air and dark power collected at its nose.

"Use Blast Burn!"

Mega Charizard roared, and blue flames consumed its body without causing harm. Mega Absol fired the Dark Pulse, but the fire of Blast Burn warded it off. The ground underneath Mega Charizard broke as it traveled to Mega Absol. The ground beneath it was uprooted, replaced by a burst of flames. The ripple of impact made Mairin cry out and fall onto her butt.

"Wow..." she said, fixing her hat. "Those are some powerful Pokémon."

"Oh, no!" the girl cried. Mega Absol collapsed onto the ground and it reverted back to its original form. Mairin gasped with awe. "Absol!"

The boy approached Mega Charizard and petted its neck. "Great job, Mega Charizard. Well done."

Mega Charizard roared and reverted back to its original form.

"Charizard and Absol can change shape?!" Mairin said.

"Yes. It's called Mega Evolution. They and a few other kinds of Pokémon have the ability to evolve beyond their final state. As you can see, it's not a permanent thing." I said.

"Mega Evolution... Wow! That's so cool!"

"We'll battle again someday." the boy said as he and Charizard approached the girl and her Absol.

"Are you always doing this? Searching for the strongest battles?" the girl said.

"Charizard and I plan to defeat every Mega Evolved Pokémon we can find, and stand at the summit."

 _That's an interesting goal._ I thought. I watched the boy leave before I stood up and followed him.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Mairin said.

"It was nice meeting you, but I have to get going." I said. "See you later."

* * *

The boy and his Charizard sat alongside a waterfall and stream. The boy reached into a bag and pulled out a treat. He tossed one to Charizard before munching on one himself. The boy had black, spiky hair and blue eyes. He wore a baggy, indigo t-shirt with long sleeves that peeked out of his black jacket, a white undershirt, gray and black baggy pants, and black boots. He wore black, fingerless gloves, a blue scarf, and his bracelet with his Key Stone.

"Excuse me." I said, approaching the boy. He looked at me with surprise, followed by immediate disinterest. "I couldn't help but witness the battle that you just had with that woman and her Absol. It's been a long time since I've seen power like that."

"Thank you. Who are you?" the boy said.

"My name is N. I just arrived here in the Kalos region, and I've never been here before. And you are?"

"Alain."

"Nice to meet you. May I?" I said, approaching Charizard.

"All right."

I reached a hand up and petted Charizard's snout. It purred.

"Mega Evolution is a wondrous thing." I said. "This is the first time I've seen it with my own eyes."

"Now that you're in the Kalos region, you're bound to see it more often." Alain said.

"I look forward to that."

"I guess you don't have any Pokémon that can Mega Evolve?"

"Well, not really, but I do have something similar to it." I reached into my pocket and pulled out a PokéBall. "Honedge!"

I pressed the button and opened it, and Aegislash emerged from it. It glowed with blue evolution light, and it changed into Honedge. Alain's eyebrows shot up.

"An Aegislash that can revert to its former evolution stages?" Alain said. "But I thought you said you've never been to Kalos before."

"It was a gift to me. It's very special indeed." A rock was kicked, its betraying bounce echoing behind us, and we looked to the source. "Mairin?"

"Hi, N! Nice to see you again!" Mairin said as she and Chespie approached us.

"You know her?" Alain said.

"We only met a little while ago, during your battle."

Alain looked at Mairin. "What do you want?"

"Your battle was awesome! Your black Charizard was incredible!" Mairin said. "N told me a little about it. So Charizard can Mega Evolve?"

"Yes. Do you want to have battle?"

"Goodness, no!" Mairin stumbled over to us, tripping on a rock. "Well, you see, the thing is, we just started our journey and I couldn't be in a battle like that! No way!"

"I guess they're just rookies." Alain said to Charizard with a smile.

"I'm Mairin, and this is my partner, Chespie! It's my first Pokémon, and I got it from Professor Sycamore! I've got a great story if you want to hear it! Okay, Professor Sycamore was telling me about this _incredible_ trainer! See, there was this Garchomp, out of control, running around in the research lab!"

"Garchomp was?"

"You haven't heard? It was a really big deal! Okay, so all of a sudden, this trainer named Ash saved Garchomp!"

"Ash?" I said, my eyes widening.

"Do you know that person?" Alain said.

"Yes. My sister and I met him while we were in Unova. He's a friend of ours. She's actually traveling with him right now."

"Isn't he sooo cool? And, when a Pokémon fell from Prism Tower, he saved it! It takes a _lot_ of trust to do that. Serious trust between a trainer and Pokémon, you know?" Mairin said. Alain smiled, lost in thought. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Alain said.

"What's your name?"

"Alain. This is Charizard. We're traveling around to master Mega Evolution."

"That's so cool! I hope Chespie can evolve!"

I chuckled. "I'll keep my fingers crossed for you." I said. Alain was lost in thought again as he stared at his Key Stone.

" _Now_ what are you thinking about?" Mairin said, inching close to Alain.

"I was just remembering something." Alain said, standing up.

"Yeah? What?"

"Something Professor Sycamore told me. You see, I was the Professor's assistant."

"Really? How come you're on a journey, then?" I said.

"I'd rather keep that to myself."

"Of course."

"Come on, Alain! Tell me!" Mairin said, bouncing on her toes.

"It's none of your business." Alain said.

Something rang from Alain's pocket, and he pulled out a Holo Caster.

" _Your next destination._ " a voice on the other end said. A blue hologram appeared at the top, marking a spot on a map.

"Understood." Alain said, storing away the Holo Caster. He returned Charizard to its PokéBall.

"Alain, if I may, would you mind if I traveled with you?" I said. "I'd like to see more of Mega Evolution with you."

Alain shoved his hands in his pockets. "That's fine with me. I'd like to get going now."

"Wait! What about me? I still have some stuff I wanna ask!" Mairin said.

Alain ignored her and walked away. I followed him, hopping down a small cliff. I turned back around and looked at Mairin.

"Aren't you coming?" I said.

Mairin's eyes lit up. "Yeah!" she cried, running over. Her foot snagged on a rock, and she flew over the cliff. I reached out and caught her. She blushed in embarrassment. "Thanks... I've been told I can be a little clumsy..."

 _"That's an understatement."_ Chespie sighed.

I chuckled and set Mairin down. "Come on."

* * *

Mairin and I entered a small area of ruins. Large purple crystals were scattered across the ground.

"I wonder where Alain went." Mairin said.

"Perhaps in there." I said, pointing at the cave entrance. Sure enough, Alain walked out of the cave.

"Alain! There you are!"

Alain suppressed an eye roll. "It's _you_. I agreed to let N come with me, not you."

"Oh, come on! I can be a valuable addition to the team!" Mairin said.

"Oh, yeah? What would you have to offer?"

"I don't know... Positivity? Optimism? Humor?"

"The humor part, I believe." Alain turned to me. He held a yellow crystal in his hand. "I got what I wanted. Let's go."

"Just a minute! Is that a Mega Stone?" a rough voice called from above. We turned and saw a big, burly man standing on top of the ruins, holding an umbrella in his hands. He wore a red and white vest that reminded me of Santa Claus, red and pink striped pants, and black boots. "I have my orders to bring that back with me."

Alain placed the crystal in his pocket. "N, take her over there."

"I have a name, you know!" Mairin pouted. I placed a hand on her shoulder and led her away.

"I challenge you to a battle for that Mega Stone!" the man said.

"And what if I refuse?" Alain said.

"That wouldn't be very nice. Meet my partner, Garchoo!"

The man tossed a PokéBall into the air, and a Garchomp emerged from it. Around its neck was a blue, beaded necklace. In the very front was a Mega Stone.

"This will be a battle between two Mega Evolved Pokémon. I've got a Key Stone right here!" the man said, flourishing his purple umbrella and showing the Key Stone at the tip.

Alain faced the man and took a step forward. The man grinned.

"Ah, so it looks like your answer is yes!"

Alain called out Charizard. "Let's battle with Mega Evolved Pokémon from the start."

"Well, now you're talking! I'm Dragon Tamer Remo, and my Garchoo doesn't fool around!"

"My partner is a Dragon-type, too."

"Huh?! What an amateur! You know, Charizard's not a Dragon-type!"

Alain smiled to himself. "We'll see who the amateur is."

 _If I recall, Charizard is a Flying- and Fire-type._ I thought. I raised an intrigued eyebrow. _Could Mega Evolution have the ability to change the typing of Pokémon? When Charizard Mega Evolves, does it become a Dragon-type?_

True to his word, Alain defeated Remo and Garchoo in a pretty short, yet intense fight. Alain approached Charizard and petted its snout.

"You see, when Charizard Mega Evolves, it becomes a Fire-type _and_ and Dragon-type." he said. Remo growled.

"Awesome. Alain won again!" Mairin said.

"Nicely done." I said, standing up straight and walking over to Alain.

"Thanks. Let's go." Alain said.

"So soon?"

"Yes. I still have much more I need to get done."

"All right..."

Alain and I headed down the path, leaving an enraged Remo behind with his Garchoo. I heard footsteps behind us, knowing they belonged to Mairin. I confirmed my assumption when I heard her foot snag on a rock and a yelp as she fell.

"Stop following us." Alain said, hands in his pockets.

"I can go wherever I want!" Mairin pouted, standing up and dusting herself off. Alain scoffed quietly and continued walking. Mairin jogged over to the opposite side of him. "Hey, Alain. You _are_ kinda scary... but at the same time, you're really nice to your Charizard. I think you really like Pokémon, which means you're not a bad person. And you wanna be a Mega Evolution expert! That means you're the kind of guy I want to get to know!"

"All right, you can stop buttering me up, now."

"I wanna use Mega Evolution, too! I'll catch lots of Pokémon, raise them right, and then I'm gonna beat you and your Charizard!"

"I can hardly wait." Alain rolled his eyes.

"Don't take that tone with me." Mairin grumbled.

"Remember what I told you, Mairin. It's true some Pokémon can Mega Evolve, but it's a very small and select few out of them all; I don't think there are even fifty." I said.

"Then I'll find out those that can and catch them!"

Mairin stopped and looked at something up ahead. Following her line of sight, we saw a Flabébé hovering in front of us.

"Look, a Flabébé!" Mairin said to Chespie. "Let's catch it! Use Pin Missile!"

Chespie jumped into the air and launched glowing, green seed pods at Flabébé. It dodged it and attacked with Magical Leaf, landing a direct hit.

"Now, use Vine Whip!" Chespie extended two vines from its collar, but Flabébé flew out of the way and laughed. Mairin growled. "Come on! Why can't we even land a single move already?!"

"Tough battle, huh?" Alain said, fighting off a smirk. "Got any moves that can poison or confuse it?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Good. That'll slow Flabébé down."

"Use Toxic, Chespie!" Two of the spikes on Chespie's head glowed purple, and it spewed Toxic on Flabébé. It hit, and Flabébé wobbled around on the flower it stood on. Mairin and Chespie cheered at the direct hit.

"Use a PokéBall now, Mairin!" I said.

"Oh, right! Go, PokéBall!" Mairin threw the PokéBall at Flabébé. After a few wiggles, the PokéBall sealed shut. "YES! I caught my first wild Pokémon! All right!"

"Maybe you should wait to celebrate and heal that poison." Alain said.

"Okay."

* * *

"Are you sure it's all right to leave Mairin all on her own? She's already pretty devoted to traveling with us." I said, sitting on the opposite side of a white-clothed table from Alain.

Alain rolled his eyes. "I don't have time to babysit a little girl. She'll find new people to cling to. Besides, what I'm doing could be too dangerous for her."

"Dangerous?" I leaned forward on my elbows. "What do you mean? Are you talking about your battles?"

"There's that, yes..."

"Welcome to my restaurant." A tall man with curly blond hair removed his chef's hat and bowed to us. His cloak-like uniform was mostly pure white, mixed with some blue patterns that gave his royal-like attire more of a chef appearance. "My name is Siebold."

"I'd like to order one of your specials." Alain said. He twisted his wrist towards Siebold, showing him the Key Stone on his Mega Ring.

Siebold's eyes widened, and he smiled. "Very good, sir. It's not for the faint of heart."

"I prefer it that way."

"Alain! N!" Mairin barged to our table and slammed her hands against it. I jumped in surprise. "You can't just leave me!"

"Nice to see you, too, Mairin." I said. "Believe me, this was all Alain's idea."

"And who is this?" Siebold said.

"I'm their traveling buddy!" Mairin said, then her eyes grew wild. "Wow! You're Siebold!"

Siebold turned to Alain. "I assume these two will join us."

Alain sighed. "I was only expecting one guest but... very well."

* * *

Siebold led the three of us to a battlefield outside of the restaurant. Mairin and I stood and watched from above.

"So, can Siebold's Pokémon Mega Evolve, too?" Mairin said.

"There's no mistaking that Mega Stone on its head." I said, referring to the head strap wrapped around Siebold's Pokémon, Blastoise, where it held its Mega Stone.

"Not to be rude, but will you use your Fire-type Charizard against my Water-type Blastoise?" Siebold said.

"Yes. I want to be the strongest together with Charizard. That's what we'll always be, no matter the match-up. You see, our bond goes way beyond any of your logic." Alain said. He brought his hand up and touched the Key Stone on his Mega Ring. "Key Stone, listen to my heart. Beyond evolution: Mega Evolve!"

Charizard Mega Evolved and roared, created a gust of wind that blew Siebold's hair back.

"Delicious. You bring everything you have to the battle, and that is nothing less than true art. I want you to go to the limit and beyond!" Siebold said.

"I'm here to witness the power of the Elite Four." Alain said.

"Very well, then."

Siebold activated the Key Stone clipped to his shirt's lapel, and Blastoise Mega Evolved. As the battle began, Mairin tugged on my sleeve.

"Hey, N?" she said, tightly clutching Chespie.

"What is it?" I said.

"I... don't think Alain likes me all that much."

I sighed and knelt down to Mairin's height. "Alain definitely is intimidating. I think he's just really fixated on his goal." I placed my hand on Mairin's head and smiled. "I'm sure the more we travel together, the more he'll open up to both of us."

"You mean... you really want me to stick around?"

"Of course. We're friends now, right? I need a little bundle of sunshine to keep my spirits up. You may be a new trainer, but you've got great potential."

Mairin grinned. "Thanks, N. I feel a lot better now!"

I smiled and looked back to the battlefield. Charizard laid on the ground, back in its original form.

"It's over already?" Mairin said. "Siebold sure is strong..."

* * *

After the battle, Mairin and I caught up with Alain down the forest path.

"Alain, wait up!" Mairin cried. She tripped and stumbled to the ground. I grabbed her arm and pulled up back on her feet. "Thanks."

"Still don't know when to quit, huh?" Alain said.

"Will you listen?!" Mairin cried. "I'm gonna learn to Mega Evolve, too!"

"Pokémon Mega Evolve, not people."

"I _know_ that. I want to find a stone, and I know I'll do that if I go with you and N!"

Alain sighed and looked at me. "I see you're fine with this."

I chuckled. "Well, I was the one to suggest she come with us."

Alain rolled his eyes and turned to Mairin. "Fine, then. Do what you want. N, let's go."

"Yeah, N, let's go!" Mairin grabbed my hand and dragged me down the path.

I smiled and picked up the pace. _Well, perhaps traveling like this will help me learn more about Team Flare. Alain is a very closed off person with interesting goals._

 _But what did he mean when he said the things he was doing would put Mairin in danger? I could understand the Mega Evolution battles; his Charizard packs quite a punch. I guess I should say the same, too. When Team Flare acts up, I risk putting him and Mairin in danger._

 _Perhaps my words to Mairin will come true. Maybe Alain will open up as we travel together, and I'll learn more about this mysterious boy._


	17. Baking Fiascos

It was unusual not being invisible. It was unusual being out in the open instead of only Clemont knowing I was around. I guess it would take some time. Nevertheless, I was happy that I could finally be around Ash and the others and they _knew_ about it.

"Here you go, Fennekin." Serena said, setting down a small batch of Poké Puffs in front of her partner.

"Those look pretty good." Ash said. Pikachu chimed in agreement.

"I hope they taste good, too. Would you like one, Pikachu?"

Pikachu hopped down onto the bench next to Fennekin, and Serena handed them both a Poké Puff. They snacked on their treats happily.

"Can people eat them, too?" Ash said, and he grabbed two Poké Puffs and stuffed them into his mouth.

"Ash!" Serena cried.

" _Wow_! Those are great!"

I chuckled from the bench I sat on across from them. "This doesn't surprise me at all. Ash was always one to do the incredibly weird and random."

"I don't doubt that." Clemont said. He looked at me. "You know, I'm really glad you're traveling with us for real. It's nice to not keep you a secret and to, um... be able to see you all the time."

I smiled. "Yeah, me, too."

"Can Dedenne have a Poké Puff?" Bonnie said, Dedenne excitedly reaching for a treat from her bag.

"Of course." Serena said. She picked up a Poké Puff and offered it to Bonnie. Before she could claim it, blue psychic energy wrapped around it and lifted it into the air. It floated over to a Slurpuff standing in the bushes. It grabbed the Poké Puff and gobbled it up. Using Psychic, it claimed another that Ash had in his hand and ate it, too.

"Hey, those aren't yours!" Ash said.

A girl walked up to us and stood behind Slurpuff. She had short, blue hair and red eyes, and she wore a light blue button-up shirt, a teal vest, and blue shorts. She also wore an orange tie, an orange headband with light blue frills, calf-high white socks, and brown loafers. She held a small picnic basket in her hands.

"Sorry about that. But, you know, Slurpuff thinks your Poké Puff tastes decent enough." the girl said.

Serena scowled. "What's that supposed to mean? Who are you?"

"I'm Miette, and this is my partner, Slurpuff."

Ash and Pikachu clutched their stomachs when they growled violently. Miette smiled apologetically.

"Since my Slurpuff ate some of your Poké Puffs, how about you try some of the best?" she said.

"I do!" Ash said, he and Bonnie shooting their hands into the air.

"Me, too!" Bonnie said.

"Thank you, but I'll pass." Serena said, turning away and crossing her arms.

Miette opened her basket and offered the Poké Puffs inside to us. "Here you are. Enjoy." She handed Poké Puffs to Pikachu and Dedenne. "For Pikachu, a spicy Tomato-topped Poké Puff. For Dedenne, a sweet Oran-topped Poké Puff."

Both Electric-type Pokémon took a bite out of their Poké Puffs and squealed in delight. Serena glanced over her shoulder.

"I wanna try one!" Ash said, reaching into the basket, taking a Poké Puff, and biting into it.

"Wait, that's-!" Miette said.

Ash's face contorted, and he screamed as a column of flames burst from his mouth. Miette snatched the half-eaten Poké Puff from his hand.

"That was for Fire-types!" Miette said. "Poké Puffs are made for Pokémon, so they're not all going to taste good to people."

"Yeah, now I know." Ash said, fanning his steaming tongue.

"All Poké Puffs are baked with a particular Pokémon in mind."

Serena jumped to her feet and faced Miette with a glare. "Hey, I make them like that, too!"

"Of course you can. That's Poké Puff basics."

"What's with the attitude?!"

"Calm down, you two! There's no reason to fight." Clemont said, stepping in between the girls. They turned away from each other with pouts.

"Hey," Bonnie called to us as she stared at a poster on a nearby bulletin board, "why not have a Bake-off? There's a Poké Puff contest here! The first round's today, and the final round's tomorrow."

"That's the reason I came here in the first place. I'm competing." Miette said.

"We'll see who the better chef is!" Serena cried, and Clemont ducked out of the way to avoid being burned by their searing glares.

* * *

"Now, the preliminary round of the Poké Puff contest is about to begin!" the announcer cried into a Poké Puff styled microphone while he stood on the stage. Several baking stations were set up around the stage. Serena and Fennekin were at one, and Miette and Slurpuff were at one next to them. "Contestants will compete using their own original Poké Puff recipes. I can hardly wait to see all the Poké Puffs!"

The rest of us sat in the bleachers and watched the contestants bake. Serena was directly in front of us.

"The Poké Puff base layers are finished." Serena said, straightening up from a crouch and placing a pan of steaming, pink Poké Puffs. "Now for the decorating!"

Serena first swiped on a layer of white frosting across the top of the Poké Puff with a paintbrush. Then, using a piping bag, swirled pink frosting on top. Finally, she placed a tiny twig on the top.

"Those look so good." Ash said. "Maybe Serena can bake some more for us later!"

"Last time I check, Ash, you're not a Pokémon." I said.

"Can't you let a guy dream?"

"All right, ladies and gentlemen. We're now halfway through the preliminary round's allotted time, and all our contestants are feverishly baking away! I'm seeing quite an amazing array of Poké Puffs! There's a lot of skill on display this year!" the announcer said.

I begged to differ while I stared at Team Rocket, disguised as chefs, frantically try and calm down their smoking station. The oven exploded in a giant puff of smoke, knocking them to their feet.

"...Of course, there's always an exception or two."

I snickered into my palm. After the time was done, the contestants turned in their finished products and sat in the bleachers. Serena joined us and Miette sat a few feet away.

"All right, it's time to announce who will be moving on to the final round!" the announcer said. "Joining us is Gena, world-class Poké Puff maker, and our head judge!"

Gena, a woman with light orange hair, purple eyes, and wearing a chef's outfit, bowed to us. "Hidden inside each Poké Puff is one thing: the hope that it will bring the hearts of people and Pokémon closer together than ever before!"

I raised my eyebrow. "The world coming together because of a cupcake?" I shook my head. "I find that hard to believe."

"A cupcake can't face off against their giant, dragon father." Ash chuckled.

"An exquisite Poké Puff is certain to make the bond between trainer and Pokémon even stronger." Gena continued.

Bonnie scurried onto the stage and lightly tugged on Gena's sleeve. Clemont cried out and turned to the empty seat next to him. His face contorted into horror as he braced himself for utter embarrassment. I bit my lip to contain my laughter.

"Excuse me, Gena?" Bonnie said. She dropped down to one knee. "I need you to take care of my brother!"

"Um... I'm sorry? Your brother?" Gena said, her mouth still near the microphone, so her voice amplified to us. Around me, people in the audience chuckled.

"Yeah! He's the handsome boy in the front row!" Bonnie took the microphone and lowered it to her mouth. "Hey, Clemont! Come onto the stage and meet your new wife!" Her voice boomed from the speakers, and I winced from the loud feedback and the laughter building up in my throat.

" _Bonnie_! I told you to stop this a million times!" Clemont shrieked as all corners of his face and ears overflowed with red. He raced over to the stage and used his Aipom Arm to grab Bonnie and pull her off stage, then he sprinted up the stairs, and the two disappeared. "This is so embarrassing!" he cried as he left the stadium.

When he was gone, I doubled over in laughter. "That was the best one!" I giggled. I wiped tears from my eyes and sighed.

"Take care of her brother, huh?" Miette said, standing up and walking over to claim the newly-empty seat next to Ash. "So, Ash, do you already have someone to take care of you?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Ash said.

Miette leaned forward slightly and looked at Serena. If looks could kill, Serena could be charged for second-degree murder.

It all hit me like a train, and my jaw dropped. Zoroark placed her paw under my chin and closed my mouth.

 _"Whoa..."_ I said. _"Serena likes Ash?"_

 _"A reckless goofball who eats like a Snorlax and behaves like a ten-year-old child."_ Zoroark said. _"Who wouldn't fall in love a kid like that? He's the total package."_

 _"I think it's kind of cute."_ Sylveon said.

 _"Oh, yeah. I'm swooning."_

"Here are the names of the three contestants who will move on to the final round." Gena said, holding a small piece of paper in her hand. "Our first contestant is Miette!"

"No surprise." Miette said as she stood up and walked towards the stage, glancing back at Serena.

"Next, the Berry Baker Kids!"

Two young kids sitting with a Makuhita jumped from their seats and cheered.

"Finally... Serena!"

Serena gasped and looked up.

"You did it, Serena!" Ash said. "I knew you could do it!"

"Thanks." Serena said. She stood up and walked towards the stage. "But now it really begins!"

"Our finalists are to come up with a new, original Poké Puff recipe by tomorrow's round. They'll also need to start gathering up the ingredients they'll be using." Gena said.

Miette and Serena both glared at each other as they stood side-by-side with their arms crossed.

"Why use an oven to bake their Poké Puffs when their glaring contests can be just as intensely hot?" I said.

* * *

"Excuse me, do you have any berries left?" Serena asked the fifth shopkeeper in a row.

"Sorry, I'm completely sold out." the man said. His Pansear purred apologetically. "I'm afraid you'll have to go to another shop."

"But they're _all_ sold out!" Serena said, looking around at the other empty booths. "How am I going to bake Poké Puffs if I can't find the right ingredients?"

"They're sold out, too?" Miette said as she and Slurpuff jogged over to us. "Every berry shop in town is out of berries."

"I wonder..." Clemont said. "Maybe this was all on purpose?"

"I bet this is all _your_ fault!" Serena growled.

"Me?! How could I have anything to do with this?!" Miette cried. Clemont yelped and dropped into a crouch, his hands shielding his head as the two girls stood over him and glared at each other.

"Let's check the forest! I bet there's a bunch of berries there!" Bonnie said.

"Great idea! Let's all go together." Ash said.

"Sure!" Serena and Miette said simultaneously. They glanced at each other.

"How will you get berries when I take them all?!" Serena said, and she sprinted towards the forest.

"Oh, no, you don't!" Miette cried, chasing after her.

Clemont sighed and stood up. "If they manage not to kill each other by the end of this contest, I'll consider this a success." he said. "I don't understand girls."

"Same here." Ash said.

"It'll be a long time before any of you can hope to have an idea." I said. I patted Ash's shoulder. "In your case, I'm afraid you'll be clueless forever."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!"

I chuckled and turned to Clemont. "I think you were on to something when you said the berry shortage wasn't by accident."

"Really?" Clemont said. I nodded.

* * *

When we entered the forest, we were met with dozens of stumps that used to be berry trees.

"Even the berries of the forest are all gone!" Serena said.

"Still think I had something to do with this?" Miette said.

"You keep quiet!"

Clemont knelt down and picked up a small branch that was leftover from the tree slaughter. "Someone's definitely sabotaging the contest."

"Who would do such a thing?" Bonnie said.

Ash looked at the trees thoughtfully. "I wonder..."

"I'll go see if there are some berries over there." Serena said, running deeper into the forest.

"Wait, Serena!"

"Being frantic isn't going to help." Miette said.

"Do you have any ideas?"

Miette petted Slurpuff's head. "My Slurpuff can help figure this out. If something sweet's in the air, Slurpuff can find where it is. Finding berries should be a piece of cake!"

Slurpuff sniffed the air and pointed in a direction. " _They're this way!_ "

A scream filled the air, coming from somewhere in the forest. "Help meee!" a voice cried.

"Serena!" Ash gasped, and we took off down the path.

Fennekin laid on the ground, covered in String Shot. Serena screamed as a group of Swirlix attacked her, covering her with their cotton candy-like bodies.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu's attack hit the Swirlix, and they dispersed into the trees. Fennekin broke free of the String Shot and ran back over to Serena.

"Are you all right?" Bonnie said.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Serena said.

The Swirlix returned with more of their buddies, and they floated around us.

"Aw, they're so cute!" Bonnie said, reaching her arms out to them.

Clemont grabbed her wrists and pulled her closer to him. "Maybe, but right now, they're really mad!"

Serena climbed to her feet. "How dare you attack us for no reason! Fennekin, use Flamethrower!"

Fennekin shot a column of flames at the Swirlix, but they flew out of the way. They flew away and back into the forest.

"It's _your_ fault for letting your guard down." Miette said.

"None of this is my fault! The Swirlix must've eaten all the berries." Serena said.

"As well as the trees they grew from?" I said, crossing my arms. "I'm finding flaws in your statement."

" _Something must've happened to make them act like this._ " Slurpuff said. It turned to us and scurried down the path. " _This way!_ "

Slurpuff led us through the forest and to a cliffside.

"How are we going to get up there?" Bonnie said.

Ash stared at the cliffside until an idea hatched. "I know!" he said, turning to me. "Rylee, could you have Zoroark and Sylveon bring us up there?"

"Sure." I said.

Sylveon and Zoroark, with me helping discreetly, combined our power together to create a giant platform of Protect. We all climbed onto it, and my Pokémon and I lifted the Protect up to the top of the cliff. I hopped off and helped the others onto the ground. We gazed at the giant cluster of berry trees.

"This is great!" Serena said, plucking a Passho Berry from a tree. "These will make amazing Poké Puffs!"

"They're delicious!" Ash said, stuffing berries into his mouth.

Slurpuff's ears perked, and it trotted over to nearby shrubbery, chattering and pointing towards the forest.

"Is something wrong?" Miette said.

The group of Swirlix flew out of the forest and towards us.

"Not them again!" Serena said.

"Hold on. I don't think they're here to attack us." Clemont said.

One of the Swirlix turned and used String Shot on something. A large, shear-like claw snapped at the air, missing them.

"No. Something's attacking them." I said.

A cluster of berry trees shuddered and fell to the ground. A giant, Octillery-styled machine with the Team Rocket's logo on it rumbled towards us. Its giant shears snapped at us.

"So you're the ones who were taking all the berries!" Serena said. "No wonder why the Swirlix were so angry! It was all because of you!"

"Right on the nose, twerpette." James said. "We're taking over the berry-picking business. Your baking days are over!"

"And while we're at it, we'll nab all your Pokémon and leave you with a big windbag full of air!" Meowth said, pulling on levers. The giant machines' shears and vacuum-like arms flailed around in the air. "Check out my Robo Baby Buggy Berry-Robbing Swipe the Sweets and Make Our Own Treats Octillery Bot 3!"

"That's such a creative name." Clemont said.

"Of course _you_ would think that." Serena said.

"Ouch..."

One of the vacuums pointed towards us and sucked Pikachu inside a swirling vacuum bag. The vacuum's power turned up to its maximum, violently sucking up berries and the Swirlix. Zoroark flew off my shoulder, but Sylveon caught her with her ribbons. I grabbed them both and held on to them tightly.

"Clemont! Does this thing have any weak spots?" Serena said, having to shout in order to hear each other over the roaring wind.

"Why are you asking me?!" Clemont said.

"With a name like that, it's bound to explode sometime soon! I thought your advice would make it happen faster!"

"Are you through with insulting me?!"

"Just tell us how to stop this thing!" Bonnie cried, clinging to her brother.

"Well, the machine is a vacuum, so it has to suck in air in order to function! If we seal the tubes, it'll stop the machine!"

"All right, then!" Ash said, and he sprinted towards the machine. He leaped into the air and planted his body against the vacuum. Team Rocket increased the suction, but Ash didn't budge. The top of the container blew off, and Pikachu and the Swirlix stopped spinning around. "Now's your chance! Get out of there!"

" _Give me a minute..._ " Pikachu groaned. " _I think I'm gonna throw up..._ "

The engine exploded, and the machine powered down.

"Now we can attack!" Clemont said.

"Fennekin, Flamethrower!"

Fennekin aimed for the smoking engine, and the machine crackled with electricity. The vacuum flailed around, tossing Ash around in the air.

"Do something before we explode!" Jessie said.

"Switching to exhaust!" Meowth said, pulling a lever. The vacuum reversed, and a gust of air detached Ash from the opening and launched him into the air. Pikachu and the Swirlix were sucked out of the tube and back to us.

"Are you okay, Pikachu?" Ash said. Pikachu nodded. The Swirlix purred happily. "Swirlix, I need you to help me stop that machine."

The Swirlix turned to the Octillery Bot, their fierce scowls returning, and they flew towards it. They used String Shot to immobilize the robot.

"Slurpuff, let's help them out!" Miette said. "Use Energy Ball!"

"Fennekin, use Flamethrower!"

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

The combined attacked slammed into the robot, and it exploded, sending Team Rocket blasting into the sky.

* * *

"And now, we'll announce the winner of our fabulous Poké Puff contest!" the announcer said. Miette, Serena, and the Berry Baker Kids stood behind him and Gena. "Presenting our judge, Gena. Take it away!"

Gena nodded and stepped towards the Berry Baker Kids.

"No funny business this time, Bonnie." Clemont hissed.

"Whatever. This is all your nerves talking. It's common to have them right before you get married!" Bonnie said. Clemont grumbled and buried his burning face in his hands.

"The Berry Baker Kids' incorporated exotic flavors into their Poké Puff, creating a delicacy that's comforting and innovative." Gena said. She walked over to Serena. "Using Passho Berry for her Poké Puff topping, Serena has created a delight with flavor and a hint of heat. Fire-types are sure to love her Poké Puff!" Lastly, Gena walked over to Miette. "Finally, Miette's Poké Puff is made with cotton candy and whipped cream and topped with a Tomato Berry. Both Electric-type and Fairy-type Pokémon are certain to love this presentation!"

"And now, the winner is..." the announcer said. "The Berry Baker Kids!"

" _Huh_?!" Serena and Miette cried.

"Yes! Berry Bakers rule!" the two kids cried. Their Makuhita chattered in agreement.

"It's a shame that Serena and Miette both lost." Bonnie said after the contest finished and everyone filed out of the stadium.

"There's always next time." Clemont said.

* * *

~SERENA~

"So, where are you going from here?" I asked Miette. Around us, workers tore down the stage.

"Wherever I can go that'll help me improve on my Poké Puff baking." Miette said.

"Next time I see you, my Poké Puffs will be even tastier!"

"Mine, too." Miette reached out her hand. I grasped it.

"Hey, Serena, we better get going!" Miette and I turned as Ash called to me. My friends waited patiently by the bleachers.

"Take care, Miette." I said.

"Of course. One thing, though..." Miette said, a glint in her red eyes. She leaned closer and brought her voice to a whisper. "Either you tell Ash how you feel about him, or I'll tell him how _I_ feel about him."

A hot blush filled my cheeks as I stumbled back. "Huh?!"

"Don't say I didn't warn you."


	18. Light, Camera, PokéVision

We entered the Pokémon Center, our attention caught by a group of people sitting around a large TV.

 _"Welcome back to PokéVision Live!"_ a small, orange, humanoid creature with a microphone said on the TV screen. _"Time for more rankings! We've reached Number 4 on our Top Ten: 'Snowcapped Onix'!"_

An Onix curled around its trainer, a man with silver hair, as the skies poured snow. A small layer covered its head and parts of its body. In the next scene, it showed the trainer riding on top of his Onix as it traversed down a blanketed hill.

"What's PokéVision?" I said.

"They're promotional videos created by trainers." Clemont said. "PokéVision is more popular in the Kalos region."

"That sounds really cool!" Ash said.

 _"Next, video Number 3: 'Psyduck at Twilight'!"_ the orange announcer said. The video panned dramatically over a Psyduck as it stared towards the sunset.

"PokéVision allows trainers to introduce their Pokémon." Serena said.

 _"Now, Number 2: 'The Beauty of Joy'!"_ The video showed Nurse Joy and Wigglytuff as they ran together through a meadow.

"It can also show the bond between trainer and Pokémon, like this video does."

"Trainers upload their videos to an online viewing site, and the PokéVision Top Ten is based on the viewer rankings they receive." Clemont said.

 _"And now, it's time for this week's video number 1: Aria and Fennekin's 'Life of an Idol'!"_

The video showed a girl with long, red hair and red eyes. She wore a white sleeveless button up shirt, a pink and yellow tutu, and pink shoes. She wore a light blue bow in her hair, a blue striped tie and matching blue striped tights.

"I knew Aria would win!" Bonnie said.

"After those two had a series of Top Ten PokéVision appearances, they made their debut as pop duos and became Pokémon superstars." Clemont said.

Aria and Fennekin winked at the camera, and animated hearts appeared in Chespin's eyes.

"So cute!" Bonnie said.

"My Fennekin is just as cute!" Serena said, pulling her Fennekin onto her lap.

"Sure! And you're at least as cute as Aria is!"

"Thanks, Bonnie." Fennekin stuck her tongue out at Chespin.

"I think you can rent all the equipment you need to make your own PokéVision video right here." Clemont said.

"Perfect!" Serena jumped to her feet. "I'll make my debut PokéVision video! I've always wanted to make one whenever I got my own Pokémon."

"I wanna make a video with Dedenne!" Bonnie said.

"You might be a little too young for that, Bonnie." I said. "And besides, Dedenne isn't your Pokémon."

Bonnie pouted for a couple of seconds, then her devious glint returned. "All right, then I'll just have to make a video to find a wife for Clemont!"

"Huh?!" Clemont said.

"Ash, will you help me with my video?" Serena said.

"I'd love to, but I want to do some special training so I can be ready for my gym battle against Grant." Ash said.

"Oh, okay." Serena shook off her disappointment and turned to the rest of us. "Are you guys able to help?"

"Yeah! Let's do this!" Bonnie said.

* * *

With directions for Nurse Joy, the four of us headed to rent some video equipment while Ash headed outside to the battlefield. The man in charge told us that he could take care of any editing for us, as well as access to a wardrobe.

"All right." Clemont said, grabbing bags of equipment. "I think I can be the most helpful behind the scenes."

"No way! You'll be the most help if we make you a big star!" Bonnie said. Clemont sweatdropped.

"But... I don't want to be a star!" Clemont's knees shook, and I took the bags of equipment to avoid the weight from causing him to collapse.

"Let's go find a place to shoot." I said, slinging the equipment over my shoulders.

* * *

"A-Are you sure about t-this?" Clemont stammered. He tugged at the tight collar of his blue, teal, and orange Victorian-styled suit.

"Don't worry, Clemont, you'll do great!" Bonnie said, playing with the clapperboard. "Just remember your lines and don't forget to smile!"

Bunnelby and Chespin stood at Clemont's sides. Bunnelby looked as stiff as Clemont, with a small top hat and matching black loafers, and Chespin waved at the camera, wearing a royal blue vest and a red bow tie.

"Ready?" Serena said, setting up the camera. She peeked through the viewfinder. I stood next to her and looked through the small monitor. Clemont gulped and nodded.

"Scene one! And... action!" Bonnie snapped the clapperboard.

Clemont's knees shook, and he bowed his head, reflecting the light off his glasses to hide his eyes. "Uh... Hi. I'm. Clemont." he mumbled. "And... this is..."

Chespin jumped in front of Clemont, taking up most of the view, and smiled. " _Hiya!_ "

"No, no, no! Cut!" Bonnie cried. "Chespin, you're too far out front! Clemont, you need more energy! Your voice is getting softer and softer!"

"I told you I didn't want to do this! Why can't we work on Serena's?" Clemont said.

"I know! Rylee, why don't you speak Clemont's lines for him?" Serena said.

"What?" I said.

"You speak for Clemont, and he'll mouth along with the words."

"You can probably do a better me than I can." Clemont said. "Remember back at Parfum Palace?"

I walked over to Clemont's side. I glowed green and transformed into him. I cleared my throat. "I'll give it a try." I said, my voice shifted into Clemont's. Clemont shuddered.

"Okay!" Serena said. I turned invisible. "Take two! Action!"

"Hello, my name's Clemont." I said. "I'd like you to meet my partners, Chespin and Bunnelby."

As I spoke, I snuck a glance at Clemont. He moved as stiffly as a rusted robot, and his cheeks were bright red.

"And... cut!" Serena said. I turned visible and laughed. "Great job!"

"Which one of us are you talking to?" Clemont mumbled and crossed his arms.

"Don't worry, you did just fine." I said, patting his shoulder.

Clemont shuddered again. "Can we both change now? I hate this outfit and you're creeping me out."

I smiled and transformed to myself. Clemont changed back into his jumpsuit and flopped onto the ground with a groan.

"Can we never do that again?" he said. "That was horrible!"

"Don't worry! We'll edit everything together later, and that will make it perfect!" Bonnie said. "Get up! We still got Serena's video to do!"

"Do I have to be in it?"

Bonnie grumbled. "No."

"Good." Clemont climbed to his feet.

"Okay! Let's get started on our video!" Serena said, placing a hat on Fennekin that matched hers. "First, take a shot of me and Fennekin running through the field!"

Clemont, back to his science-y ways, adjusted his glasses and chuckled. "Looks like it's my turn! Because the future is now, thanks to science!" Clemont pulled out an object as tall as him covered in a white cloth. He pulled off the cloth, revealing a camera with robotic arms and legs. "I thought we would encounter a situation precisely like this one! I call it The PokéStar Shooter!"

"Boring..." Bonnie said.

"My camera-equipped, mobile tripod robot can provide fixed shots, mobile shots, or even crane shots as high as PokéStar Studios, the movie capital of the world! This device will make you shine like stars!"

Clemont pulled out a remote and pulled a small lever. The machine turned on and moved closer to Serena and Fennekin. It crouched down and aimed the lens at Fennekin.

"Low angle... High angle... And zoom in!" Clemont said, then the robot extended its body and towered over the two. Its lens extended into Serena's face. "You're witnessing movie perfection."

"I guess science really _is_ amazing, just like Ash says." Serena said.

"This could be your first big hit in a while! Way to go, big brother!" Bonnie said. Clemont beamed.

 _"Is anyone going to tell them?"_ Zoroark said.

 _"Let him have his moment."_ I said.

"Okay, let's start the running shot." Clemont said. "And... action!"

Serena and Fennekin began to run through the field. After about 20 feet, the PokéStar Shooter short-circuited and fumed with smoke. It sprinted towards the two.

"What's happening?!" Serena said.

"It's out of control!" Clemont said. The buttons on the remote blew out. "Run!"

Serena screamed as she and Fennekin were chased by the machine.

"Hang on, Serena!" I called, and I ran after her.

* * *

~CLEMONT~

"Clemont, come on, let's do something!" Bonnie said.

I watched Rylee chase after Serena and the PokéStar Shooter. She thrust out her hand, creating a platform of Protect in front of her. She jumped on it and rode towards Serena and Fennekin.

I turned and grabbed the camera. Popping it off the tripod, I rested it on my shoulder.

"Clemont, what are you doing?!" Bonnie said.

"Something." I said, turning the camera on.

* * *

~RYLEE~

I zoomed towards Serena and the PokéStar Shooter. As I got closer, the camera turned and aimed at me, but it continued to chase Serena. I leaned over and scooped Fennekin into my arms. She yelped in surprise.

"Serena, grab my hand!" I said, extending it to her. Serena took my hand and jumped onto the Protect. "Hold on."

"To wha-AAH!" Serena cried as the Protect lurched to the side. As it swerved away, I jumped off and landed in front of the PokéStar Shooter.

As the machine sprinted towards me, I summoned another mesh of Protect and formed it into a sword. I reared back and ran towards the machine. As we passed by each other, I dealt a couple of quick slashes. I skidded to a stop and turned around, the Protect gripped tightly in my hand.

The PokéStar Shooter trembled, and it collapsed into many pieces. The arms, legs, and camera slipped off the body and fell to the ground. I panted and straightened. I turned back to Serena as she hopped off the Protect.

"Are you okay?" I said.

"Yeah." Serena said. "Thanks for rescuing me."

I nodded and turned to the others. Clemont stood with Bonnie, the camera propped on his shoulder and aimed at me. Bonnie smiled and shot me a thumbs up. I let out a deep breath, looked at the camera, and smiled.

"That was awesome!" We turned as Ash and his Pokémon jogged over to us. "Great job, Rylee!"

I chuckled. "Thanks." I turned to Clemont. "I think we should stick to the original equipment."

Clemont shifted the camera off his shoulder and held it in his arms. He smiled. "That's fine with me."

"Now that that's over with, maybe we should try our shot again." Serena said.

"How about a new take with a new outfit?" Bonnie said.

"Great idea!" Serena put on some Fennekin ears, tail, and shoes, and she changed into a pink top and pink shirt with a pink bow in her hair. Fennekin wore a matching bow and collar. "Now that you're here, Ash, can you help us?"

"But... I still have special training to do..." Ash said.

"Sometimes taking a break can go a long way to help you focus your training!"

"Oh... All right."

* * *

After the meadow shot, we headed back inside and used a small kitchen for the next scene. Clemont manned the camera, Ash held up a reflector to angle the light, and Bonnie stayed in charge of the clapperboard.

"Rylee, will you and Sylveon help me in this scene? You two and Pikachu can be our cooking buddies!" Serena said.

"Sure." I said.

"Great! I already have aprons for you!" Serena held up pink aprons with white flowers and draped them into my hands, one for me and one for Sylveon. She took my arm and dragged me over to the counter.

I put my apron on and helped Sylveon tie hers on. I pulled my hair back into a ponytail.

"Ready?" Clemont said. "Action!"

Serena whisked a bowl of batter. "Pikachu, the powdered sugar, please!"

Balancing an overflowing bowl of powdered sugar over his head, Pikachu trotted over to us. Halfway across the counter, the weight of the bowl made Pikachu stumble. He tripped, and the bowl toppled out of his hands. Heaps of powdered sugar flew at us.

I thrust out my hands and cast Protect over us. The powdered sugar landed in the Protect. I curved and shrunk it into a funnel. I held it over the bowl, poured the sugar into it, and passed it to Serena.

"Here you go." I said.

Serena chuckled and took the bowl. "Thanks."

* * *

After we finished recording, we went back to the equipment booth to return the equipment. However, the man told us the editing machine was broken.

"What are we going to do?" Serena groaned.

"Can't we just use what we have and leave it alone?" Ash said.

"If we use raw footage, it'll look terrible." Clemont said.

Serena sighed. "Do you have any idea when it'll be fixed?"

"I called it in a few minutes ago. It may take a couple of hours." the man said.

"Okay... Thank you..." We headed back to the front room. "Now what will we do?"

"PokéVision production, anyone?" a voice called from outside.

"Inexpensive, yet desirable!" another said.

"PokéStar quality on the cheap! We'll give your videos style and we'll do it with a smile!" a third voice said.

"Who's that?" Ash said. "Let's go check it out."

"Go on ahead. I'll catch up with you." I said.

The kids hurried outside, and I headed to the video phone. It rang three times before an image appeared.

"Hi, Mom." I said.

"Rylee! It's so good to see you!" Mom said. "How have you been? What have you been up to?"

"Everything's fine. Ash and I have been traveling with some friends we met when we came here."

"That's great! Anything exciting?"

"Nothing too exhilarating."

"Well, if it's anything like Unova, I'm sure it'll be packed with crazy stuff."

"...Yeah." I cleared my throat. "Is N there? I want to talk to him."

"Um... no, he's not." Mom said. "He's actually been away for a few days now."

"What?" I said. "It was great talking to you, Mom. I'll call you soon."

"All right. I love you, Rylee."

I nodded and hung up. Quickly, I dialed Headquarters.

"Miss Rylee, hello!" said the red-headed secretary. "What do you need?"

"Can you patch me over to my dad?" I said.

"Of course. Give me a few moments."

The image went black for a couple of seconds before it lit up again with my father's face.

"Hi, Rylee. How are you handling your mission?" Dad said.

"It's fine. I haven't had any run-ins with Team Flare. However, Team Rocket is a completely different story." I said. "Is N at Headquarters? I called home, and Mom said he's been gone for a while."

"N was sent on a mission a few days ago. He was sent to a different region."

"Oh, really? Okay. If you get in contact with him again, can you let him know I asked for him?"

"Of course. Where are you heading next?"

"We're heading to Cyllage City first so Ash can battle the Gym Leader there. After that, we'll probably head to Shalour City and go to the Gym there."

"Okay. I'll let N know. Thanks for calling, Rylee. I hope your mission keeps going well."

"Me, too. Bye, Dad."

The image went black, and I crossed my arms.

 _I wonder where N went for his mission._

"Ryleeee!" I turned as my friends ran into the Pokémon Center and over to me.

"What happened? Where are Pikachu, Dedenne, and Fennekin?" I said. I looked at Ash; he refused to meet my eyes. "Team Rocket?"

"Team Rocket." all four of them said.

"All right, let's go."

* * *

Ash's Fletchling returned after being sent to follow Team Rocket. We followed it to a rocky hill with a cave. Next to the cave, high on a plateau, Team Rocket was in the middle of a shoot. Jessie stood in her Jessilana outfit on top of a rock while James recorded, Meowth stood next to a giant fan, and Wobbuffet sprayed water from a hose, slowly drenching Jessie. The fan blew the excess water over the edge, creating a large puddle of water in front of the cave.

"Pikachu!" Ash called as we ran towards the cave.

" _Ash!_ " Pikachu and Dedenne headed across the puddle and to us.

"It looks like the twerps are crashing our set!" Meowth said.

"Can't you see I'm busy making movie magic up here?!" Jessie said.

"Fennekin!" Serena said. Fennekin remained on the other side of the giant puddle. "I should've known... Fennekin hates getting dirty, like me."

Serena sprinted across the puddle, splashing dirty water on her shoes and tights.

"Inkay, use Psybeam!"

Inkay attacked, and it landed in front of Serena. The impact knocked her off her feet, and Serena hit the ground, the water soaking her clothes.

" _Serena!_ " Fennekin called.

Serena climbed back onto her feet and continued to run.

"Pumpkaboo, use Shadow Ball!"

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Pikachu's attack cancelled out Pumpkaboo's, but the force still made Serena fall again.

Fennekin hopped into the water and galloped towards Serena. Serena stood up, and Fennekin jumped into her arms. We turned our attention to Team Rocket.

"Inkay, show the twerps we will not be shunned!" James said. Inkay cast another Psybeam.

"Counter it with Electro Ball!" Pikachu blocked the attack again. The explosion creating a gust of smoky wind above Serena and Fennekin.

"The job of this great actress is showing a clueless twerpette the ropes!" Jessie said. "Now, Pumpkaboo, use Frustration on those two!"

Pumpkaboo glowed red and lunged at Serena and Fennekin. Fennekin wiggled out of Serena's arms and attacked, her Ember upgrading into Flamethrower.

"All right, then, Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" The classic attack hit, and Team Rocket blasted off again.

"I'm surprised you didn't help out." Clemont said.

I turned to him and flinched when I saw the camera propped on his shoulder and aimed at me.

"I didn't need to. Serena could handle this by herself." I said. I turned back to her and Fennekin. "Whenever I'm needed, I'll always be there. It's what I do."

Clemont glanced up from the viewfinder and smiled.

* * *

We returned to the Pokémon Center, and Serena cleaned herself and Fennekin. I peeked into the room while Serena brushed and dried Fennekin's hair.

"You know what made Fennekin do all those things?" I said. "You know, learn Flamethrower and trudge across that puddle despite getting dirty?"

Serena looked up and set down the drier and brush. "Yes, I think so." she said. "It was the determination I showed when I endured Team Rocket's attacks and went after it. Ever since we started traveling together, Fennekin was always the one who protected me from danger. In that moment, I knew that I had to step up and do the same."

"It was the bond you two share. After today, it's gotten a lot stronger."

Serena smiled and turned to Fennekin. "We'll always be best friends, right, Fennekin?"

" _You bet!_ " Fennekin jumped into Serena's arms. I leaned against the wall and smiled.

"Serena! Rylee!" Bonnie hurried into the room. "The PokéVision video's all finished, and we're waiting for you so we can watch it!"

"We're coming." Serena said. She stood up and unwrapped the towel around her head. She shook out her hair. "Thanks, Rylee. I know Fennekin and I will continue being great partners. Nothing's going to separate us!"

I smiled. "I'm glad to hear that."

* * *

We sat in a screening room in front of a TV that almost took up the entire wall. The man who edited our video pressed play, and the lights dimmed.

 _"Hi, my name's Serena! This is my partner, Fennekin!"_ Serena's voiceover said as it showed images of the two in the meadow. It switched to the baking scene. I handed Serena the bowl of powdered sugar, and she mixed it into the batter. She scooped out a spoonful and offered it to Fennekin before tasting it as well. _"We love making sweet treats, and we love eating them, too!"_

In another shot, it showed Serena and Fennekin with multiple pink bows in their hair. _"We love to dress up."_ In the last scene, Serena and Fennekin stood in front of a cathedral. Serena twirled around in a big, pink gown before the two waved at the camera. _"If you see us around, please stop and say hi, okay?"_

The screen faded to white and the lights came back on.

"That was so great!" Bonnie said as we applauded. She turned to the editing man. "Play the next one, please!"

"There's more than one?" Ash said.

"Well, there's the one Serena made, and there's also the one Clemont made!"

"Wait, what?!" Clemont said. "I didn't think you'd actually make the video!"

"How else am I supposed to find a wife for you? Let's watch!"

The lights dimmed again, and Clemont groaned and covered his face in his hands.

In the first scene, it showed Clemont and his Pokémon standing in the meadow.

 _"Hello, my name's Clemont. I'd like you to meet my partner, Chespin and Bunnelby."_ Clemont's voice-over said, which was actually me. _"I'm a handsome Gym Leader from the Lumiose Gym!"_

"I can't believe you actually said this." Clemont said.

"Neither can I." I said. "Shh!"

 _"I can be shy, but I'm very strong in my own gentle way!"_ my voice-over continued as it showed different shots of a very uncomfortable Clemont. The only time he wasn't was during a shot of him with the PokéStar Studio. He smiled and waved at the camera. A second later, it showed his awkward self again. _"I love to invent things, and right now, I'm looking for a nice girl who I can be a good friend to-"_

Chespin jumped in front of the camera, taking up the entire frame.

 _"Hey, out of the way, Chespin!"_ Film Bonnie cried.

Bunnelby shoved Chespin away. The two of them growled and started fighting.

 _"There's no reason for you two to have a fight!"_ Film Clemont said.

 _"Stop it right now!"_ Film Bonnie said.

Bunnelby jumped out of the shot and launched Mud Shot at Chespin. The camera tilted back, showing Chespin as it jumped into the air and attacked with Pin Missile to block another Mud Shot. A cloud of soot filled the air, and when it faded, Clemont was covered with it.

 _"That's my big brother!"_ Bonnie, Chespin, and Bunnelby smiled as they gestured to him. The camera tilted to the side and hit the ground.

The screen faded to white. I covered my mouth and laughed.

"It's not funny!" Clemont said.

"Of course it's not. I'm not laughing." I said, clearing my throat to cover my giggles.

"That was... quite a video, Clemont." Serena said.

"No worries! We'll just make another one!" Bonnie said.

" _No!_ " Bunnelby and Chespin cried.

"You guys want to see the last one?" the editing man said.

"Last one? What do you mean?" I said.

"You guys made three videos, right? Your inventor friend gave me all the footage."

We turned to Clemont. He leaned back against the couch and smiled.

"Let's take a look at it. I think you'll all like it." he said.

The lights dimmed. The screen lit up and showed Serena being chased by the PokéStar Shooter.

"Clemont!" Serena said. Clemont ignored her and kept his eyes on the screen.

 _"Hang on, Serena!"_ a voice called. Chills ran down my spine.

The camera quickly panned, and I gasped when I saw myself on the screen, riding a platform of Protect towards Serena. I pulled them onto the platform and jumped off to confront the PokéStar Shooter. However, from its perspective, it zoomed in on me. I turned to face the camera.

 _"This is Rylee."_ Clemont's voice-over said. _"She's not like most people. In fact, you could say she's more than one."_

The screen showed me walking over to Clemont's side, then transforming into him.

 _"She's not afraid to go down without a fight."_

It jumped back to the PokéStar Shooter's perspective. I summoned a sword of Protect and lunged straight towards the camera. Quickly, it changed to a different camera angle, and it showed me slicing the machine to pieces. I turned towards it as it fell into a pile of parts.

 _"Not only that, but she's super cool and nice!"_ Bonnie's voice-over said.

The screen showed me and Serena in the kitchen with Fennekin and Sylveon. Pikachu stumbled towards us, and the bowl of powdered sugar went flying. I used Protect to gather the ingredient and handed the refilled bowl to Serena.

 _"She's really kind and she cares about everyone!"_

 _"Whenever I'm needed, I'll always be there. It's what I do."_ my voice said. Taking place after the battle against Team Rocket, the camera angle showed me staring off into the distance.

 _"She's the definition of a guardian and a friend."_

The last image showed me turning to the camera and flashing a smile. After a few seconds of lingering, the screen faded to white and the lights came on.

"That was fantastic!" Serena said, and my friends erupted into applause.

"You made that?" I said to Clemont.

Clemont adjusted his glasses and blushed. "I helped a little with the editing and salvaging footage from the PokéStar Shooter."

I smiled and threw my arms around him. "Thanks."

"Are you okay with this being released to the public? I don't want this to cause you danger."

"I don't mind. I hope everyone sees this."

Clemont smiled. "Me, too."

* * *

"All right, the videos have been uploaded to the site!" Nurse Joy said.

"We're gonna be famous!" Serena said. I chuckled.

"Did you have to upload my video, too, Bonnie?" Clemont grumbled.

"Duh! It'll be good for you!" Bonnie said.

"Yes, it will feed my humiliation." Clemont rolled his eyes.

"Now I'm getting excited." I said. "Maybe we _will_ get a lot of views."

"Just imagine: both our videos in the PokéVision Top Ten!" Serena said, linking her arm through mine.

"If you do, they'll be broadcasted to every region in the world." Clemont said.

"How did you know that?" Bonnie said.

"I, uh... I asked."

"I'll have to keep my fingers crossed for that." I said.


	19. The Bonds of Evolution

As we headed towards the Pokémon Center, we stopped at a bulletin board. One of the biggest posters was an advertisement for an upcoming battle taking place in the town.

"We totally gotta check that out!" Ash said.

Serena paused and examined the poster more closely. "Hey, that's Diantha!" she cried, referring to the woman on the poster with short, wavy, black hair and pale blue eyes. "She's doing an exhibition match!"

"Who's Diantha?" I said.

"You don't know who Diantha is?!" Bonnie said.

"I don't either. Is she something important?" Ash said.

"She's the strongest trainer in all of Kalos! She's the Champion." Clemont said.

"Really? That makes me even more psyched!"

"Not only is Diantha the Champion, she also happens to be a world-famous movie star!" Serena said. "Look up there!"

Serena pointed to a large movie poster hanging on the front of a building with Diantha posed on it.

"That's her in the blockbuster, 'My Sweet, Sweet Lady'." Clemont said.

"Elegant with a dignified presence, the all-around perfect leading lady!" Serena said, clapping her hands together. "I so admire her!"

"I do, too!"

"Looks like someone's got a crush." I chuckled.

"What-? No! That's not what I meant!" Clemont said, but his burning cheeks betrayed him. "I meant that I admire her ascent to stardom and how successful she is."

" _And how pretty she is._ " Zoroark said, and she, Sylveon, and I laughed.

"Then that settles it!" Ash said. "I'm gonna challenge Diantha!"

We all gawked at the back of Ash's head.

"Don't you think that's a little... farfetched, Ash?" I said.

"If she's as strong as everyone says, then I wanna see for myself!" Ash said.

"In that case, I'll ask her to take care of Clemont for me!" Bonnie said.

Clemont grumbled. "That's even more ridiculous..."

"Although you'd love that, wouldn't you?" I said.

"Stop it!" Clemont cried, and I laughed at his reddening cheeks.

* * *

We headed for the stadium where the battle would take place. We turned the corner and saw a group of people huddled around a door.

"Everyone settle down!" a voice cried above the chatter, along with the tips of two hands waving frantically. "Diantha will not be seeing anyone or getting any interviews today!"

"Looks like we ran outta luck." Serena said.

" _Are you really surprised? Diantha is crazy famous._ " Zoroark said.

A door opened beside us and Professor Sycamore peeked his head out. "Hey, you guys. Nice to see you!"

We entered the room while the crowd grumbled outside Diantha's door. We sat down at a table.

"What are you doing here, Professor?" Serena said as Professor Sycamore closed the door.

"There's only one reason for me to be away from my lab, and what's that?" Sycamore said.

"To research Mega Evolution?" Clemont said.

"Exactly. I'm doing extensive research on Diantha's Gardevoir and its Mega Evolution."

"Gardevoir?" I said, my eyes wide. "She has one?"

"They're so pretty! Have you ever seen one before?" Bonnie said.

"Um... sort of."

"Have you see Diantha yet, Professor?" Serena said.

"I have. She's getting her makeup done in the next room." Sycamore said, gesturing to the door leading to the next room.

The kids gushed at the thought that the movie star was on the other side of the door. Ash jumped from his seat and went to the door. As he reached for the doorknob, the door opened, and Diantha stepped into the room.

"Sorry I'm late, Professor." she said.

"So, did you reconsider what we spoke about?" Sycamore said while the kids squealed in awe.

"You must mean about me lending you this Key Stone, right?" Diantha said, holding up the stone hanging around her neck. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I can't. If there's anything else I can do, I'd be happy to, but this Key Stone is part of the bond I have with Gardevoir. I can't lend it to anyone. Sorry."

"I understand how you feel. Please."

Diantha sighed and dropped her hand back to her side. "Well, all right. If I have some time, the next time I visit Lumiose City-"

"Not gonna happen! Diantha's schedule is already jam-packed!" A short girl dressed in a gray suit and a red tie marched up to Diantha and Sycamore. She had short, blue-black hair tied back with a maroon bow and teal-green eyes with red glasses hanging over them. She scowled and stuck her face close to Sycamore's. I assumed her to be Diantha's secretary. "Right now, we haven't _any_ plans to visit Lumiose City!"

"Your expression is as cute as ever when you get angry, you know." Sycamore said, and I could've sworn he leaned in.

However, Diantha's secretary smacked her thick, red planner into Sycamore's face and turned away.

"Why don't we discuss this scheduling conflict in a civilized way, over a little dinner?" Sycamore winced as he cupped his face in his hand.

"No thanks." Diantha's secretary said coldly. She paused at Diantha's side and smiled. "You're on soon. Are you all set to go?"

"Yes." Diantha said. She turned to us. "You're all welcome to stay for the exhibition battle."

Diantha and her secretary left the room.

"Smooth moves, Professor." I said with my arms crossed. "I hope you don't use that tactic often, or else your face would be permanently bruised."

"I had to give it a try, right?" Sycamore chuckled.

* * *

Wedged between Clemont and another spectator, we took our seats in the bleachers. Diantha stood on one side of the battlefield while her opponent, a man named Magnus stood on the other.

"Professor, what's that Key Stone you and Diantha were talking about?" Ash said.

"You see, the Key Stone is crucial for a Pokémon to Mega Evolve. The Stone a trainer possesses is called a Key Stone, and the Stone a Pokémon possesses is called a Mega Stone." Sycamore said.

Diantha threw a PokéBall into the air and her Gardevoir appeared on the battlefield.

After studying Gardevoir for a few moments, I let out a deep breath. "I guess that's not the one." I said quietly.

"One what?" Clemont said.

"Well... You know how I've said I'm able to have visions of the past?" I said.

"Yes."

"Well, I'm also able to have visions of the future, although they're a little more rare." I said. "Around the beginning of my Unova journey, I had what I believe to be a vision of the future. The most confusing part about it was when a Gardevoir appeared to me. Her eyes were closed, her body was still, and her head was bowed."

"Was she asleep?"

"I thought that at first... until she into particles of light and I began to weep like a little baby. That led me to believe that she had died and I was close to her. Right after she disappeared, the name 'Mika' was mentioned, but I've never met someone with that name."

"So that just means you'll meet them in the future, right?"

"Yeah, but I don't know how long that will be. Many of the things that happened in my dream haven't happened in real life, nor do I have any clue as to what they could mean. Whether they will happen tomorrow, the next week, or perhaps not until I'm an adult, I don't know."

"Do you ever find your powers... complicating?" Clemont said.

"A little, yes. But I'm learning everyday. They're a part of me." I said. "I wouldn't be complete without them."

I turned back and stared at the Gardevoir. I noticed the Mega Stone hanging around her neck.

"Professor," I said, "can all Pokémon Mega Evolve?"

"Not that we know of." Professor said, holding up a camera to record the battle. "There's a select group of Pokémon that we've discovered that can Mega Evolve. The number doesn't even go up to 50."

"What kinds of requirements does it take to Mega Evolve?"

"With what we've observed with Pokémon that are capable of Mega Evolution, you have to possess both a Key Stone and a Mega Stone. Mega Evolution also requires a strong bond between trainer and Pokémon. According to the types that possess this ability, the Pokémon can either be unable to evolve or it must be in its final evolved form. For example, a Blaziken is able to Mega Evolve, and it is the final evolution in its line. However, a Heracross can also Mega Evolve, but it is unable to evolve."

"Huh..." I said. _I wonder if Zoroark can evolve._ I thought, glancing at her in my lap. I smiled. _Or Celebi._

* * *

The battle ended super quickly. Magnus wasn't able to damage Gardevoir at all, but Diantha took out his Absol in two hits. After the battle, we returned to Diantha's room, but there was another crowd surrounding it. A security guard told us that Diantha left, so we went to a cafe. That place had a large crowd, too. Bonnie and Serena charged in while Ash, Clemont, and I sat at a patio table. Serena returned with a slice of chocolate cake, and the kids argued over having to share it. While Clemont bragged about one of his inventions, claiming that he 'thought we would encounter a situation precisely like this one', a woman dressed in all black spoke to the manager, who told her this kind of cake was all sold out. The woman turned out to be Diantha.

We cut the cake into incredibly small pieces and ate them. Diantha went all Dessert Connoisseur, which made me smile.

"You're so amazing!" Serena said.

"That's right! You're a keeper!" Bonnie said, and Clemont cringed as she got down on one knee in front of Diantha. "Won't you please take care of my brother?"

" _Bonnie_!" Clemont cried.

"You see, my brother is a bit shy, so I think it'd be good if he married a dependable woman like you!"

"Me? Marry your brother?" Diantha said.

Clemont chuckled nervously. "She's just joking!"

"No, I'm not!" Bonnie said, and Clemont clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Diantha, will you have a battle with me?" Ash jumped in, saving the conversation from getting any more awkward.

"Ash! Diantha's schedule is already cramped as it is, and here you are bothering her!" Serena said.

"Yeah, but... I wanna be a Pokémon Master, so having a battle with you would be awesome because you're the champion! Please?"

Diantha smiled. "All right. I usually turn down unofficial battle requests, but you shared your chocolate cake with me." she said. "Just this once, though."

* * *

We met up with Professor Sycamore and headed to an spacious field. Diantha called out Gardevoir and Ash called out Pikachu. Serena, Bonnie, Sycamore, and I stood on the sidelines while Clemont referreed.

" _I give this battle two seconds before Ash loses._ " Zoroark said.

" _You never know what Ash has up his sleeve. He may surprise you._ " Sylveon said.

" _Okay... Three seconds._ "

The battle began. It was amazing to see Diantha and Gardevoir communicate; in fact, there weren't any verbal commands at all. Nothing but simple eye contact and minute head nods, but Gardevoir understood Diantha's requests perfectly and dodged Pikachu's attacks.

In the middle of the battle, a box fell down from the sky and burst open, encasing Gardevoir in a box of blue energy.

"Prepare for trouble!" a voice cried.

"Oh, boy." I grumbled. Team Rocket's hot air balloon floated above us, and Gardevoir was carried over and attached to the bottom of the basket.

"Team Rocket! Again?!" Ash said.

Gardevoir used Shadow Ball against the box, but to no avail. Jame threw a smoke bomb at us. As the smoke lifted around us, I blinked hard as my eyes flared. Through the haze, I saw Team Rocket's hot air balloon disappear into the trees.

"They're not gonna get away with this!" Bonnie said.

"Don't worry. I'll take us straight to them." Diantha said.

"You mean... You know where Gardevoir is?" Sycamore said.

Diantha nodded. "This way."

We followed her down the path. As we ran, Diantha told us a story about how she got lost in a thick fog. The power of the stones and the bond between Gardevoir and Diantha allowed Gardevoir to find her. At a cliff's edge, we saw the ears of the Team Rocket's balloon poking through the trees. We followed them deeper into the forest and found them.

"I want all of you to stay here." Diantha said, and she emerged from the bushes and walked towards Team Rocket. "All right, you three listen. I want my Gardevoir!"

"Ha! You think you can get it back that easily?" Jessie said. "In your dreams!"

"We'll see about that." Diantha said with a secretive smile. She gripped her Key Stone, and yellow energy burst from it and surrounded her. "Gardevoir, let's show them a few things about a strong bond! Mega Evolve!"

Gardevoir's Mega Stone burst with blue energy. The two energies connected together and turned white. Gardevoir was consumed with a magenta light as its silhouette changed. The light faded, and Gardevoir was in its Mega Evolved form. Her dress ballooned out like an elegant ballgown, and the spike sticking out of its chest doubled, looking like a bow.

"Wow..." I said. "Mega Gardevoir."

"Use Shadow Ball!" Mega Gardevoir shot multiple Shadow Balls at the energy cage and shattered it in a smoky explosion. "Excellent work. Use Moonblast."

Energy surrounded Mega Gardevoir. Team Rocket tried to retreat, but Mega Gardevoir shot a large, pink ball of moon energy. The hot air balloon exploded, and Team Rocket blasted off into the sky.

"That was awesome!" Ash cried as we ran to Diantha and Mega Gardevoir. Mega Gardevoir glowed a bright light and transformed back into its original form.

The air around us picked up suddenly, and we looked as a helicopter hovered above us. Diantha's secretary waved from the open door.

"Thanks so much to all of you for helping me get Gardevoir back." Diantha said.

"Well, we actually didn't do anything... But thanks." I said.

"I want to thank you for showing us the bond that's so crucial to Mega Evolve." Sycamore said.

"I'm glad I was able to help. Take care!" Diantha waved and climbed into the helicopter.

"Diantha!" Ash said, and he ran over to the open helicopter door.

"So, you're the girl that's able to transform into Pokémon." Professor Sycamore said, turning to me. "I don't think you've properly introduced yourself."

"Oh, um... yes. My name is Rylee." I said, shaking the Professor's hand.

"It's an interesting power that I've never seen before. Perhaps you can tell me more about it?"

"I wanna know, too!" Bonnie said.

I chuckled nervously. "I'll get to that... eventually." I said. "For now, I have something important to take care of, and I need to stick with Ash in order to accomplish it."

"Who needs to stick with Ash?" Ash said, returning to my side. Diantha's helicopter lifted and took off into the sky.

"All of us!" Clemont said. "So, we should get going, right? The next gym is waiting!"

"Yeah!"

* * *

~IRIS~

"All right, Iris, that's enough for today." Elder said. I opened my eyes and took a deep breath.

"Thank you, Elder." I said, uncrossing my legs and standing up. "I'll see you tomorrow morning."

Elder nodded, and I headed to the exit of the sanctuary. I breathed in the outside air and descended down the steps. A deep, rumbling bellow mildly shook the ground beneath me, and I turned to the source and smiled.

"Hi, Haxorus." I said, reaching up and petting its snout. It purred at my touch. "You ready to go to Shannon's?"

Haxorus nodded, and together we walked down the dirt path. When I traveled through Unova a few years ago, Haxorus was just a small Axew. Ever since it was given to me, our bond has done nothing but grow stronger.

After returning home, we both underwent astounding changes. As soon as I stepped back onto home soil, the Legendary Pokémon, Zekrom, appeared to me and bestowed incredible wisdom and knowledge upon me. Elder said that the person who wielded such ultimate abilities was called a 'Ganesha', and that's what I became.

I had never intended to come home. In fact, I had plans to travel through Johto region after my journey in Unova. They fell through due to... bittersweet circumstances.

The power I received from Zekrom comes to me in two different ways: words and visions. Think of it as a fortune teller, but much more accurate and truthful. I recently visited a family, and their maternal figure was terribly ill. Her future came to me in words, and they said she would live. Now she spends time with her family instead of on her deathbed. I've thought about my friends frequently. Those thoughts are manifested into visions.

Ever since I was named Ganesha, Elder has been helping me to channel that power. Keeping it stable requires mediation and intense self-discipline. I abandoned my childish ways. For a fourteen-year-old, perhaps you might think it's unfortunate that I had to grow up so quickly, but in that moment when my mind was enlightened, I didn't mind. In fact, I'm perfectly content with this gift that I have.

Haxorus and I walked up to Shannon's door and knocked on it. It opened, and Shannon was there.

"Hi, Iris! Hi, Haxorus!" she said. Her purple hair brushed against her arms. I remembered when it used to be much shorter. "Come in!"

We entered, and I glanced around at the home. A bookshelf stuffed with books was propped against the wall and next to a wood floor cupboard. A coffee table sat in the center of the living room and on top of a purple and yellow rug. An orange couch sat on one side of the table and a matching stool on the other. Behind the couch was a window that peeked out into the backyard.

"The Hydreigon are outside." Shannon said, heading towards the kitchen.

"Haxorus, why don't you go and spend time with them?" I said.

Haxorus nodded and hurried outside, where Shannon's twin Hydreigon were. I watched them cheerfully greet one another.

"How was mediation today, Iris?" Shannon said, entering the room with two cups and a pitcher of water. We sat down on the orange couch.

"It's the same process. However, despite the routine, I learn something new each time." I said.

"Can you teach me sometime?"

"Of course. Maybe during the next time I visit."

"Great!" Shannon eyed a remote control on the coffee table. "Um... Iris... Do you mind if I turn on the TV?"

"What? How come?" I said. "Don't tell me you're bored of me already."

"No, no, it's not that. You see, I've been obsessed with watching PokéVision Live lately."

"PokéVision? I've never heard of that before."

"It's where trainers get to debut themselves and their Pokémon by making a video. Each week, they show the ten most viewed videos."

"Interesting."

"Is it all right for you to watch TV? I-I don't know if you're allowed to or not..."

I smiled. "It's fine. It's not like I'm completely restricted."

Shannon smiled and grabbed the TV remote. She turned on the TV.

 _"Hello, and welcome to this week's PokéVision Top Ten!"_ A small, orange, humanoid creature with a microphone said on the screen. _"We've got some excellent new videos to show you, starting with Number 10!"_

The videos came on one by one, each of a trainer and their beloved Pokémon. The videos were short, perhaps between 15 and 30 seconds.

"Aren't they cool?" Shannon said, her eyes shimmering with delight as they watched the TV screen.

"Yeah." I said, watching the numbers slowly count down.

 _"And now for Number 2! You wouldn't believe our surprise when this superstar ranked second place: Aria and Fennekin's 'Life of an Idol'!"_ the announcer said.

"What?!" Shannon cried, jumping out of her seat.

"Who's Aria?" I said.

"She's a superstar in the Kalos region! She and her Pokémon, Fennekin, made their debut through PokéVision. I can't believe she was booted down to Number 2!" Shannon huffed and plopped back down onto the couch.

"Wow... Whoever got Number 1 must've had a pretty fantastic video."

 _"And now, the moment you've all been waiting for, PokéVision's Number 1!"_

* * *

~?~

"Welcome to the Striaton Café. May I start you off with a drink?" I said to a table that sat two girls.

"Just water, please." one girl said, batting her eyelashes. "It's important to stay hydrated, right?"

"Yes, ma'am." I said, turning to the other girl whose eyes never left me. "And for you?"

"I'll have a green tea." the second girl said. "It's my favorite color, you know."

"Really? It's mine, too."

"That's so crazy! We have so much in common." The girl tossed her hair over her shoulder.

I politely smiled. "I'll be right back."

I turned on my heel and headed to the kitchen. On the way, I passed by my brother, Chili.

"Glad to know you're handling yourself all right." he grinned.

I nodded and continued walking, ignoring the girls that waved to me from the table Chili waited on. I entered the kitchen and grabbed a glass and a small tea cup. I filled a tea pot with water and placed it on the stove. When it boiled, it shrieked loudly.

"What?! What do you mean Aria didn't get first place?!" a girl cried at a table nearby.

"I can't believe she got knocked down. Her PokéVision videos are always perfect!" another girl said.

"Not anymore, I guess. Whoever got Number 1, they better have made the best video in the world!" a third girl said.

"Shh! They're gonna show it!"

I placed the green tea and the water on a small silver platter and headed through the kitchen door and back into the restaurant.

 _"Hang on, Serena!"_

My feet stopped in their place. The drinks on the platter were disrupted from the sudden lack of momentum, and a few drops flew out of their cups and splashed onto the white cloth draped over my arm. I looked up at the TV.

* * *

~IRIS~

I leaped off the couch and almost over the coffee table as the TV broadcasted an image of a girl standing in a meadow. The camera zoomed in on her, and she turned to face it.

 _"This is Rylee."_ a voiceover of a young boy said. _"She's not like most people. In fact, you could say she's more than one."_

"Hey, isn't that one of your old friends...?" Shannon said.

"SHH!" I hissed. I grabbed the remote and turned the volume up.

 _"She's not afraid to go down without a fight."_ the voiceover continued.

Rylee brought her hands together and formed a sword made of Protect. A chill ran down my spine.

 _"Not only that, but she's super cool and nice!"_ another voice, one of a young girl, said.

It showed Rylee in the kitchen with a girl with blue eyes and long, honey-colored hair tied back in a low ponytail, with some hanging around her face and over her shoulders. A Sylveon and a Fennekin sat near them. Pikachu trotted towards them with a bowl of powdered sugar.

I gasped. _Pikachu? Does that mean Ash is there with her? Are they traveling together again?_

 _"Whenever I'm needed, I'll always be there. It's what I do."_ Rylee's voice said. The last scene showed her turning to the camera and flashing it a smile.

I flopped back down onto the couch and panted.

"Are you okay, Iris?" Shannon said.

"Yeah... I'm just... surprised..." I said. Words and visions flashed across my mind and filled my brain rapidly. I cringed and rubbed my temples.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry... My mind's becoming unstable." I said, taking deep breaths to calm the whirlwind inside my head. "That's what happens when my emotions act up. All that knowledge unleashes at once." I turned to Shannon. "I need to go."

"Okay. I hope you feel better."

Fists pounded against the sliding glass door. I looked up and saw Haxorus standing at it, staring directly at me. It had sensed my distress and came to my aid.

"Thank you for having me over, Shannon. I wish it didn't have to end so abruptly. I'm sorry." I said.

"Don't be! You worry about yourself and rest up. I'll see you later!" Shannon said. She opened the sliding glass door, and Haxorus hurried to my side.

 _Worry about myself..._ I thought. For the past two years, that was the furthest thing from my mind of things to do. If I did worry about myself, I might've been crushed by the weight of my power.

I swatted the thoughts from my mind. It makes it seem like my power is a burden. I assure you, it's most definitely not. But still... there must be a way that I can control it besides endless meditation and lack of emotions.

I stood up, but a wave of dizziness hit me, and I stumbled. Haxorus grabbed me and kept me from falling. I smiled and rested a hand on its torso. I said my goodbyes to Shannon, and Haxorus helped me out the door.

Haxorus grunted, as if to say, _"What happened?"_

"I'm all right, Haxorus." I said, assuringly patting its chest. "I saw... an old friend of ours."

Haxorus snorted impatiently. I chuckled as my smile widened.

"Take me back to sanctuary, please. I'll tell you there."

Haxorus nodded, and we continued down the dirt path.

* * *

~?~

 _"There you have it, ladies and gentlemen!"_ the orange announcer on the TV said. _"Our Number 1 PokéVision video of the week: 'The Meaning of Rylee'!"_

Glass shattered around me. The girls at nearby tables yelped in surprise and turned to see what happened. While everyone's eyes were on me, mine were on the TV screen. On her face.

The announcer continued as the lingering image of her smile sat behind him. _"Never before has our star, Aria, been knocked off of her throne at Number 1... Until now! And what an amazing video it is! Watch out, Aria! There's a new star rising with potential, and her name is Rylee Runyon! Thank you for tuning in to this week's PokéVision Live! From all of us here in Kalos, see you soon!"_

The show changed, and I finally tore my eyes away from the screen to absorb my surroundings. Broken pieces of glass and porcelain lay at my feet. I had dropped the silver platter, and it laid against my leg. Water and green tea soaked the carpet and my shoes.

Girls whispered around me, both speaking about the PokéVision video as well as the incident here. I lifted my eyes. Standing above the crowd, Chili stared at me with knitted eyebrows.

I slowly crouched down and picked up the silver platter. I placed it on a counter and walked across the restaurant, passed the curious, flirtatious eyes. As I drew closer to Chili, he hesitantly opened his mouth.

"...Cilan?" he said.

I kept my eyes to the floor as I hurried past him; he didn't bother to stop me. I walked out of the restaurant and down the hallway. I shoved my bedroom door opened and ran my fingers through my hair.

* * *

~TPPOV~

 _Rylee..._ The sound of her name from the announcer stopped his heart. Here in solitude, Cilan took deep breaths in hopes of starting it back up again. _It was really you..._

He thought back to the news report from a few weeks ago, about the rampaging Garchomp in Lumiose City. He remembered Ash standing on Prism Tower, and the Protect that guided him to the top. Watching the PokéVision video, and her standing with Pikachu, Cilan concluded his past suspicions- Rylee and Ash were traveling together again. Judging by the Fennekin in the same shot, they were in the Kalos region. He remembered when he and his old friends met a journalist from the Kalos region.

It was before... before they said... goodbye...

As the video consumed every bit of this thoughts, Cilan imagined her. He had seen the determination and passion burning in her eyes, the same he had become familiar to several years ago. He had seen the kindness she felt towards those who shared scenes with her. He had once again seen the girl he loved and lost.

His heart swelled, and it traveled to his eyes as tears streamed down his cheeks.

Meanwhile, back in the restaurant, Chili stared up at the TV screen and clenched his fists.


	20. Double Trouble

There's nothing like having to put up with Team Rocket first thing in the morning. Along a mountain path, Team Rocket blocked our way with Pikachu trapped inside a glass container.

" _They're persistent, that's for sure._ " Sylveon said.

"I think the word you're looking for is relentless." I said.

" _Whatever the case, it all adds up to_ annoying _._ " Zoroark said. " _Ash should really better his guard._ "

"How about you stop complaining and start helping?!" Ash said as he pulled out a PokéBall and called out Froakie. "Use Water Pulse!"

Inkay dodged the attack.

"I've got just the thing for this!" Clemont said. He unhooked his backpack from his shoulders and plopped it onto the ground. After a few moments of fishing around, he pulled out a large vacuum-like device that seemed impossible for it to fit in there.

"Inkay, Psybeam!"

Inkay attacked and Clemont activated his invention with the cranking of a lever. The Psybeam was sucked inside.

"I call it my Mechanical Absorber of Any Pokémon's Move!" Clemont said.

"The name needs work..." Bonnie said.

Inkay used Tackle, but Clemont's machine sent it spiraling away.

"See, it works against physical attacks, too!" Clemont said.

"Science is so amazing!" Ash said.

" _See, whenever Ash says that, it's about ten seconds away from exploding._ " Zoroark said.

Pumpkaboo attacked with Shadow Ball and Dark Pulse, but Clemont's invention absorbed the attack and frustrated Jessie. Froakie knocked out Inkay and Pumpkaboo, who crashed into James and caused the container holding Pikachu to open. Pikachu used Thunderbolt and blasted Team Rocket away.

"Great job, Clemont! That invention of yours is amazing!" Serena said.

"Thanks! Although it's still in the prototype stage, I have a good feeling-" Clemont said.

His machine lit up with sparks. Crossing my arms, I cast a wall of Protect in front of me and the others as Clemont's machine exploded. The smoke subsided, leaving a very charred Clemont.

"Looks like it's back to the drawing board." I said, shaking the smog out of Clemont's Bouffalant hair.

* * *

"Finally, we're in town!" Ash said as we walked through the park's cobblestone path.

"Can we find a Pokémon Center? I'm beat..." Bonnie groaned.

A little boy ran up to us with a Pancham at his side; both wore mighty scowls.

"I told Officer Jenny about you!" the boy said. He paused. "Hang on... How come your Pikachu isn't floating in the air like before?"

"Floating? Pikachu can't float." I said.

"I'm really sorry! I thought you were Ash from Pallet Town!" The boy and Pancham ran off.

"What... is going on?" Ash said. His stomach growled. "Well, that was a little weird, but let's go and find some food."

We headed to a small food court. When the vendor saw us, he scowled and left his booth to confront us.

"There you are! You kids ordered all that food then took off after eating it! You owe me a lot of money!" the vendor said.

"But, sir, we just got into town. We haven't eaten anything." Clemont said.

The vendor stepped closer to Bonnie, Serena, and Ash and examined them carefully. "You do seem different now..."

"I think you may have made a mistake." Ash said.

"Sorry to bother you. Have a nice day." the vendor said, retreating back to his booth.

"Anyone else get the feeling that something unusual is going on?" I said.

"Perhaps... We could ask Officer Jenny if anything suspicious has been going on." Clemont said.

We headed inside the Pokémon Center and Serena, Clemont, and Ash had their Pokémon cared for. After retrieving their PokéBalls, the intercom screeched on.

" _Attention, please. Could Ash from Pallet Town, Serena from Vaniville Town, and Bonnie from Lumiose City please come to the Pokémon Center entrance._ " the intercom said.

"What for?" Ash said.

We headed to the front and, when the doors opened, we were greeted by Officer Jenny, two men and one women.

One man wearing a waiter's suit growled. "There you are! It's time for you guys to pay your bill!"

"Hold on. We just got into town. It's our first time here!" Ash said.

Jenny turned to the waiter. "Are you sure these are the ones?"

"I don't know... They're dressed the same." the waiter said.

"You're Ash from Pallet Town, Serena from Vaniville Town, and Bonnie from Lumiose City, correct?" Jenny said to us.

"Yes." Serena, Ash, and Bonnie said.

"I'd be very interested to hear what you all have to say. You might be involved in some kind of trouble."

"Okay." Ash said, and the three followed Officer Jenny.

"But what about us?" Clemont said.

"Just stay here until we get back. We'll get this all settled!"

Clemont scratched his head as we returned inside the Pokémon Center. "That's so weird... Why are things happening to Ash, Bonnie, and Serena, but not us?"

I shrugged. "I don't know, but I bet this will get solved by the end of the day."

Clemont nodded. After a few more minutes, he stood up. "I'm going to go give Bonnie a call. Maybe they've figured out something."

I nodded and watched him walk to the telephone booth. I saw the small image of Bonnie's face on the screen and a bit of Serena's hair while she stood behind the little girl and held her up.

" _Something about this doesn't seem right._ " Sylveon said.

" _No kidding. I'm waiting to jump into INVESTIGATION TIME._ " Zoroark said.

"Not funny." I mumbled, harshly batting Zoroark off my shoulder.

As Clemont hung up the phone, the doors nearby opened, and two people- a man and a woman dressed in lab coats- approached him. They both wore white germ guards over their mouths.

" _INVESTIGATION TIME?_ " Sylveon said.

"INVESTIGATION TIME." I said.

I stood up and turned invisible as Zoroark glowed magenta and transformed into me. Sitting in my spot, Sylveon sat in her lap. While she pretended to devote all her attention to her nail bed, I crept over behind Clemont.

"Excuse me, but are you that brilliant, young inventor, Clemont?" the female doctor said.

"Uh... brilliant? Well..." Clemont said. He glanced over at Zoroark and Sylveon.

"Allow us to introduce ourselves." The male doctor handed Clemont a card. Clemont took it, and I looked over his shoulder. "KALOS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY", it read. "We're in the process of building an important device, but we need your help. If we're going to succeed, help from a genius like you is critical."

 _Flattering- the most deceiving and effective of tactics._ I thought, examining the woman's magenta hair and the man's purple hair. _But where's Meowth?_

"Like me?" Unfortunately, Clemont was believing it all. I shook my head.

"Of course! We've heard all about you- how uniquely revolutionary your inventions are!" Jessie said, and slowly she and James loomed closer in Clemont's face.

"People in the north say they're brilliant and incredibly useful!" James said.

"Yes, indeed! Brilliant enough to figuratively blind you!"

"Devices for the future!"

"You're embarrassing me..." Clemont blushed and stumbled back a little to create more space from Jessie's and James' invasion of privacy. He bumped into me. He gasped quietly, something the Team Rocket members mistook for intrigue.

"Please, Clemont, sir, work along side us!" Jessie cried, a desperate twitch in her eyes.

"Give me a moment to think about this. It's a little overwhelming..." Clemont said, adjusting his glasses.

"Of course!" Jessie and James took a step back, and Clemont hurried down the hall. He turned the corner and took a few deep breaths.

"You were eating that up." I said, turning visible and folding my arms.

"Er... sorry..." Clemont said. "So, what's up?"

"More like what's back."

"Oh... Team Rocket?"

I nodded, and Clemont groaned and facepalmed.

"I seriously don't get you kids and your ignorance." I sighed. "If they're here in town buttering you up while Ash, Bonnie, and Serena are being interrogated by the police, this obviously has their name written all over."

"I guess they need me for their scheme." Clemont said. He smiled deviously. "I vote for destroying it from the inside-out."

I smiled back. "I guess they weren't wrong about you being a genius."

Clemont chuckled humbly. I turned invisible again and we headed back to Team Rocket.

"All right, I'll gladly help you out!" Clemont said.

"Wonderful! Please, come with us!" Jessie said, and she and James escorted Clemont out of the Pokémon Center. I turned to Zoroark and Sylveon, turning visible for a split second to shoot them a thumbs-up. They nodded in return, and I turned invisible again and followed after Clemont.

* * *

Jessie and James brought Clemont to an old warehouse filled with tools and parts.

"Impressive." Clemont said. "You've got quite the arsenal here."

"Thank you!" James said. "Here's what we're working on."

James walked over to an object covered with a big, white cloth. He yanked the cloth off, revealing a Heliolisk robot.

"This is as far as we've gotten." Jessie sighed.

"We've been commissioned by an organization dedicated to world peace..." James said.

 _Well, their motto does say they want to 'protect the world from devastation' and 'unite all people within our nation'._ I thought. I paused. _Oh, man. I've heard it so many times, I can recite it just as well as them._

"...But a cruel, nasty, Electric-type Pokémon continues to sabotage our work!" Jessie said, a passive-aggressive way to put all the blame towards Pikachu.

"And so, we humbly request that you build us an Electric-type defense device." James said.

"Hmm..." Clemont said, walking towards the Heliolisk robot. "All right. I'll do it."

"Oh, joy!" Jessie cried, clasping her hands together.

"Would you mind if I had the room to myself? Working alone helps me think better."

"Of course, Clemont. We'll be right around the corner, anxiously awaiting for the finished product." Jessie and James left the room, probably to plan the next step of their scheme.

"Looks like they're the ones being played now." I said, turning visible and facing the Heliolisk robot. "Now how do we totally wreck this thing?"

Clemont cupped his chin in his hand and examined the robot. "Well, the structure looks pretty stable... It'll need some improvement to the external shell and some serious rewiring to its internal core."

"So... make the machine look and work pretty?"

Clemont nodded and opened the hatch on the machine's chest. After a few minutes of tinkering, we cleaned the dust off the machine. I leaned in over the torso and examined my distorted yet pristine reflection. The colors had returned, revealing a more realistic Heliolisk.

"There. The robot should operate perfectly; there's nothing that should go wrong... unless someone were to tamper with the wires and put something in there to make the machine malfunction..." Clemont said.

"Hm..." I said. I held out my hand and a ball of Hyper Beam formed in my palm. "Something like this?"

"Maybe." Clemont said, turning his back to me. "But as far as I know, I'm the only one here."

I chuckled and turned invisible. I opened the front hatch and carefully placed the ball of Hyper Beam in the center of the robot's core. I closed the hatch and stepped back right as Jessie and James entered the room.

"It's finished!" Clemont said.

"Bravo, Clemont!" Jessie said.

"Excellent effort!"

"We would be honored if you would name this for us, brilliant lad!"

"Hmm, let's see..." Clemont said. "How about the Electricity-Has-No-Affect-On-Me-Atron!"

I sweatdropped. _He really does need to work on his names._

"Hey, what's that over there?" Clemont said, looking at a mechanical container on top of an elevated wooden platform.

"Initially, we thought we built a Pokémon transport machine, but we couldn't get the thing to work." Jessie said. "As the capsule travels through the tube, it gets stuck."

Clemont climbed up to the machine and examined it. "I'll see if I can adjust this, too."

"Really?!"

Clemont detached the capsule from the machine. "Sure. How far do you want to send the capsule?"

"One-and-a-half-miles."

Clemont pressed some buttons and recalibrated the machine before placing the capsule back in. He tested the machine, and the capsule shot through the tube cleanly, popping up into the air on the other side. James reached out and caught it.

"There you go. All better." Clemont said.

"Bravo!" Jessie and James applauded. "We are humbled by your greatness."

The two Team Rocket members led Clemont to the warehouse entrance.

"We can't thank you enough for all your help." James said.

"Glad I could be of service. I hope your inventions work out well." Clemont said, and I bit my tongue to keep myself from snickering.

Jessie pressed a button and the warehouse door slammed in our faces. I turned visible and we walked towards the Pokémon Center.

"I can't wait to see what happens to those machines." Clemont said.

"I bet all my money that both those things are for capturing Pikachu." I said.

"I can't wait until they use that transporter machine."

"Why's that?"

"I recalibrated the distance, but not according to the radius they gave me. I inputted my DNA so it would recognize my presence and shoot it back towards us."

"I'm impressed. What Team Rocket said wasn't a lie; you're truly brilliant."

Clemont blushed. "Thanks, but it's no big deal."

We entered the Pokémon Center. Ash, Bonnie, Serena, and our Pokémon were seated in the dining area.

"There you guys are!" Bonnie said. "Where were you?"

"Everything's all right. We were just out." Clemont said. "We met some interesting people, though."

"Did you guys get everything settled with Officer Jenny?" I said, taking a seat next to Serena at the table. "What happened anyways?"

"Some people were pretending to be us. They were going around telling everyone our names." Ash said. "We have to find out who's behind all this!"

"That's right!" Serena said.

"I'm not gonna let them drag our names through the mud like this anymore!"

* * *

The next morning, while walking around, another food vendor yelled at us, accusing us of eating his food and running away without paying. After using a trail of angry pedestrians and merchants, we found the impostors in a meadow nearby, standing in front of a tall tree.

"All right, Team Rocket. We know it's you!" Ash said.

"I must admit, it wasn't easy for me to dress down with no class, like _you_ do." Jessie said in her Serena outfit.

"Ex- _cuse_ me?!" Serena cried.

"And I truly detested acting like a total buffoon." James said, dressed as Ash. Inkay floated at his side, dressed in a very poor-looking PIkachu.

"What?!" Ash said.

"And you're not even a little bit cute!" Bonnie said to Meowth, who was dressed in the exact same outfit as her. He held out a Dedenne puppet and spoke for it.

" _I don't feel sorry for those they tricked anymore._ " Zoroark said. " _Not only is it Team Rocket's fault for pulling this, but it's the victims' faults for not knowing what a Pikachu and Dedenne look like._ "

Team Rocket took off their disguises.

"Great, now we can get to the blasting away part." I said.

"I don't think so! Team Rocket's future is now, thanks to science!" Jessie cried.

"Team Rock-atronic Gear, on!"

"Hey, those are _my_ lines!" Clemont growled.

James pressed a button on a remote and their Heliolisk robot burst from a pile of leaves.

"We'd like to thank the brilliant Clemont for helping us to perfect this lovely machine!" Jessie said.

"Clemont?! _You_ did that?!" Bonnie said.

Clemont stood back with his arms crossed and remained silent. I watched from the sidelines as Team Rocket used the Heliolisk robot to capture Pikachu and placed it in a capsule. The Pokémon transport machine emerged from the ground.

"Nice work with the machines, Clemont." I said. "They turned out better than I expected."

"Thanks." Clemont said.

" _What_ are you so calm about?!" Ash said.

Jessie placed the capsule into the Pokémon transport machine and pressed a button. The capsule was sucked inside and the top closed. She pressed another button and I watched the capsule shoot down the tube. A second later, it burst from the ground, flying back towards us.

"Huh?!" Team Rocket cried.

Clemont reached out and caught the capsule with Pikachu inside. "Rylee, if you'll do the honors."

I smiled and snapped my fingers. The Heliolisk robot combusted from the inside and out, exploding violently. Clemont opened the capsule and Pikachu climbed out and back to Ash.

"That wasn't part of the plan!" James said.

"Maybe not yours, but it was a part of _our_ plan." Clemont said. "I admit, you almost tricked me into doing your bidding at first, but thanks to my lovely assistant, we agreed to help you... but on our terms."

"Why, you little-!" Jessie growled.

"Your turn, Ash." I said.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

Once again, Team Rocket blasted off into the sky. Clemont and I exchanged a high-five.

"So, I'm your assistant now?" I said.

"Uh... That was kind of an in-the-moment thing to say." Clemont said.

I smiled. "As long as you plan on making more things intentionally explode in the future, gladly count me in."

* * *

~?~

"I'm sorry, _what_?" my brother, Cress, said with wide eyes. "Are you feeling all right?"

" _I'm_ fine." I said. I glanced back into the restaurant to make sure no one could hear our conversation. "Look, I know it sounds crazy..."

"It is! What in the world is going through that head of yours?!"

"I have to talk to her." I sighed and placed my hands on my hips. "I'm leaving for Kalos tomorrow morning."

Cress sighed. "Me getting in the way will only make things worse. Are you sure? Imagine what will happen when she sees you again."

"That's a risk I'm willing to take."

"Very well."

"Cress... Will you promise to keep this a secret?"

"Of course. But if suspicions arise, I'm claiming to be the victim."

I smiled. "Thank you. I'll be back in a few weeks."

Cress nodded. "Good luck."


	21. A Dynamic Fighting Duo

Walking down the forest path, the sun shone in between the trees, creating patchy spots of shade and sunlight. We left Cyllage City a few days ago, and Ash battled against the Gym there and won. Now we were heading for Shalour City to challenge the Gym there.

"What beautiful weather!" Serena said, stretching hers arms to the sky.

"The best thing to do on a day like this is run!" Ash said.

"Are you sure that's the _best_ thing?" Clemont said.

"Come on!" Ash ran ahead of us. Clemont sighed.

"Maybe if you didn't carry so much stuff, you'd be able to keep up with everyone." I said.

"Let's get going, shall we?" Clemont ran ahead. I rolled my eyes and jogged to catch up to the others.

While running down the path, a girl burst from the trees and landed in front of Ash. "I found a trainer!" she cried, skidding to a stop on her roller skates. She had long, blonde hair tied back in a high ponytail and gray eyes. She wore a white and red dress with black bike shorts underneath, white boots with red heart decals that also functioned as skates, and a red, white and back helmet. She had red and white gloves, and I noticed a Key Stone on the back of her left hand. "Number 99, and that's gonna be you!"

"Um... What?" Ash said.

"Whaddya think? I'm talkin' about you and I having a Pokémon battle!" the girl said. "Korrina's my name. My partner's over there!"

We turned, and a Lucario dropped down from the trees. He gained a running start before leaping over us and landing at Korrina's side. The two high-fived.

"This is perfect! We're in top form today!" Korrina said. "So, how about it? A battle, here and now!"

"You're on!" Ash said. "I've been wanting to do some training before I challenge the Shalour City Gym."

"Interesting! Are you all trainers, too? Are you planning on challenging the Shalour Gym?"

"Ash is the only one who'll be doing the gym battles in this trip, but we are all trainers." Serena said.

After introducing ourselves, we headed to a large, open meadow for the battle. Ash used Pikachu and Korrina used Lucario. The rest of us stood on the sidelines and watched.

"'Kay, Ash, you make the first move!" Korrina said.

"Pikachu, Quick Attack!" Pikachu lunged at Lucario.

"Lucario, stop them!" Lucario met Pikachu halfway. Pikachu slammed into Lucario's stomach.

"Iron Tail, let's go!"

"Quick, block it!" Lucario lifted his arms in front of his face, and Pikachu smacked his Iron Tail into them. Lucario shoved Pikachu back.

"I'm starting to get the feeling that Lucario is capable of much more." Clemont said.

"This battle might be more complicated than we thought." I said.

"Come on, Ash and Pikachu! You can do it!"

"Pikachu, use Iron Tail!"

"Dodge it, Lucario!" Lucario jumped away as Pikachu chased him with Iron Tail. "Now use Swords Dance!" Lucario lifted his arms to his side, and glowing swords appeared and swirled around him for a few seconds. The swords disappeared, and Lucario briefly glowed orange.

"Swords Dance raises the user's attack power." I said. "If Lucario's capable of deflecting so easily, then his attacks must be twice as vicious."

"Lucario, Bone Rush!" Lucario brought his paws together. As they separated, a long, glowing bone formed. Lucario lunged at Pikachu, covering several feet in the blink of an eye. Lucario reared the bone back like a baseball and swung it. Unable to react in time, the bone slammed into Pikachu, and he tumbled back.

My friends gasped in surprise. I crossed my arms and watched Lucario and Korrina.

" _Bone Rush is a Ground-type move. Not just that, but Lucario got a huge attack boost._ " Sylveon said.

" _In order words..._ Yikes _, that has got to hurt._ " Zoroark said.

"All right, now that's what I call a hit!" Korrina said, pumping her fists in the air. "Let's keep it up with another Bone Rush!"

"Pikachu, get up!" As Pikachu struggled to get back on his feet, Lucario attacked again. Swinging the glowing bone, Lucario launched Pikachu into the air.

"Attack one more time!" Lucario ran to Pikachu's destined landing point and smashed the glowing bone into him a third time, keeping him in the air like a tennis ball. Lucario pulled his arm back as his fist glowed orange with Power-Up Punch. He thrust his fist at Pikachu, erupting the air with orange energy.

Pikachu landed on the ground in front of Ash, unconscious.

"Pikachu! Are you okay?" Ash said as he scooped him into his arms. We gathered around Ash.

"It looks like we won." Korrina said as she and Lucario approached us. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a Sitrus Berry. "Here, have this."

"Uh... Thanks..." Ash said, giving the Berry to Pikachu. He munched on it.

"That Pikachu of yours is pretty strong, but you're not going to be able to beat the Shalour Gym."

"How can you be so sure?" Serena said.

Korrina and Lucario glanced at each other before smiling at us. "You see, _I'm_ the Shalour Gym Leader!" Korrina said.

"What?! No way!" Ash said.

"No wonder you're so strong!" Bonnie said.

"That's 99 wins! One more to go!" Korrina said to Lucario. A low rumble filled the air, and Korrina clutched her stomach. "Having a Pokémon battle saps up a lot of my energy. I'm starving!"

"I know how you feel." Ash said.

"Let's take a break and have some lunch, then." Clemont said.

"Yes, please!" Korrina and Ash cried.

* * *

"Korrina, if you're the Shalour City Gym Leader, then why aren't you, you know, _there_?" I said as we ate lunch.

Korrina held up a finger as she chewed a sandwich she shoved into her mouth. She swallowed and reached for another one. "Because of this." Korrina lifted her left hand and showed us the Key Stone attached to it.

"I noticed that when we first met. I don't see a Mega Stone on Lucario, though."

"That's because I don't have one yet. My grandfather gave this Key Stone to me. It's Shalour Gym tradition that the Gym Leader has a Pokémon that can Mega Evolve." Korrina said. "Lucario and I decided to get 100 victories in a row before we go to Geosenge Town and get a Lucarionite. It's taken a long time, but we've finally almost done it. Just one more to go!" Korrina pulled out a notebook. "Check out this notebook. After every battle, I asked the Pokémon we battled against to stamp their paw on a page."

Korrina flipped through the pages of the notebook, giving a small story to each one. At the second to last page, Korrina gasped.

"I almost forgot to ask Pikachu to stamp its paw!" Korrina jumped out from the picnic table, grabbing her notebook and a bottle of ketchup, and hurried over to Pikachu. "Excuse me."

She grabbed Pikachu's paw and squirted ketchup on it. She placed his dirty paw on the empty page.

"Perfect!" Korrina jumped to her feet and showed us the ketchup-stained page. While the rest of us cleaned up lunch, Korrina paced back and forth and daydreamed. "I wonder who my 100th trainer will be..."

A blue-gray van with the silhouette of a Mismagius and a Lunatone pulled up behind us. "Attention, miss!" a woman through the intercom said, referring to Korrina. "Is that Lucario your partner?"

The side of the van opened, and three people stood on the inside: two of them, a man and a woman, dressed respectively in blue and purple robes, and a miniature man in brown robes.

"Oh, my gosh..." I mumbled exasperatedly.

"We're the Mega Evolution Consulting Group!" James said as the three descended down the stairs.

"Our job is to give you a consultation concerning how strong your Pokémon will become and what kind of moves it'll use once it Mega Evolves!" Meowth said.

"We're also aware that your Lucario wishes to Mega Evolve using the Mega Stone from Geosenge town." Jessie said.

"How do _you_ know that?" Korrina said, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

 _Oh, please don't be as clueless as the others._

"When it comes to Mega Evolution, we know all the ins and outs!" Meowth said.

"A thorough consultation is in order. I sense our encounter was meant to be." Jessie said. The three approached Korrina and Lucario.

"There's no need for that. We already know how strong we are. When Lucario Mega Evolves, we'll only get better!" Korrina said.

"This consultation is free, so there's no reason to decline." James said, placing a hand on Lucario's back.

"Step right this way!" Meowth said. Jessie took Korrina's hand, and the Team Rocket members dragged them towards the van.

"We're going to need this." Jessie pulled Korrina's glove off, the one holding the Key Stone.

"Hey, that's mine!" Korrina said.

"Fear not, it's with us!" Jessie hopped into the van with Lucario.

"Since we're here, let us take a look at Pikachu's Mega Evolution!" Meowth said.

"We'll tell you everything, like how strong Pikachu will become when you use the Mega Stone from Geosenge Town." James said.

"Hold on a minute!" Korrina said. "How do you know about Geosenge Town?"

"Our job is to know all of that stuff!" Meowth said.

"Along with a Key Stone, it's needed to facilitate a Pokémon's Mega Evolution." James said.

"Everybody knows that!" Jessie said. "A Pokémon will Mega Evolve with the use of two stones."

"You're wrong!" Korrina said. "There are different Mega Stones. Each Pokémon requires its own specific stone to Mega Evolve. The Mega Stone in Geosenge Town is Lucarionite, and only Lucario can Mega Evolve with it!"

"Very enlightening, Korrina." I said, walking over to her side. Team Rocket started to sweat. "While we're at it, since you people claim to know all about Mega Evolution, then you should also know that Pikachu _can't_ Mega Evolve."

"O-Of course it can!" Jessie said.

"In order for Mega Evolution to occur, Pokémon who can evolve normally must be in their final evolution state. Pikachu is in its middle evolution state, with Raichu as its final. And scientists don't know if Raichu even can evolve." I raised a cheeky eyebrow.

"Spoken like a true twerpette!" Meowth said.

"Looks like the jig is up." James lifted his wrist, a watch attached to it, and pressed a button. An energy box surrounded Pikachu and Lucario. James pressed another button, and the van doors closed. While Ash and Korrina pounded their fists against the vehicle, the roof opened, and Team Rocket's hot air balloon lifted into the air.

" _How in the world did they fit that in there?_ " Zoroark said.

Team Rocket recited their motto and flew away. Meowth threw a smoke bomb at us that covered the area. When it subsided, they were gone.

"I'm not gonna let those chumps take my Lucario away!" Korrina said.

"Then how do we find them?" Serena said.

Clemont smiled. "That's easy! I have the perfect device for this situation! The future is now, thanks to science! Clemontic Gear-!"

"I'll handle this!" Korrina sprinted towards the forest.

"Wait, Korrina!" Ash cried, chasing after her. Serena and Bonnie followed while Clemont dug inside his backpack for his invention.

"H-Hey! What about my invention?!" Clemont called.

" _Save that for another time!_ " Sylveon said.

" _Yeah, it has a few more hours of life left before it, too, explodes._ " Zoroark said.

"Come on." I said. Clemont pulled his backpack back on with a grumble and we chased after the others.

* * *

The path took us from the forest to a rocky canyon. Ash sucked in a deep breath and called out for Pikachu and Lucario. Meanwhile, Korrina walked to the edge of the cliff and closed her eyes. After a few moments, she opened them again and smiled.

"Lucario's here. I can sense it." she said.

"You can really sense where Lucario is?" Serena said.

Korrina nodded. "The two of us have been together ever since we were young. We played together, laughed together, ate together, fought together. We grew up like siblings. Lucario and I share an unbreakable bond. That's something that will never change." she said. "Lucario is waiting for me to save it."

"Isn't that a little more than a hunch, though?"

"This is the same thing that happened with Diantha and her Gardevoir." I said. "The bond between them is so strong that they were able to find each other."

"I know what you mean, Korrina." Ash said. "Pikachu and I have been together since the very beginning. We've trusted and helped each other and battled as a team. It's the exactly the same as us as it is for you."

Korrina smiled and looked out at the canyon. "Leave it to me!" she said. She pointed to the bottom of the canyon. "We need to get down there."

"How are we supposed to do that?" Bonnie said.

"No worries. We'll take care of this." I said, and Sylveon and Zoroark leaped to my side. Each of us summoned a platform of Protect. Korrina and I rode on my own, Clemont and Ash rode onto Zoroark's, and Serena and Bonnie rode on Sylveon's.

"Whoa." Korrina said as we traveled to the ground. "How are you doing this?"

"Explaining would take a long time. Just go with it." I said.

Korrina raised an eyebrow, but she shrugged it off. We hopped off and hurried down the path. I noticed a cloud of smoke rising into the air. A couple hundred feet later, we saw Pikachu and Lucario, as well as Team Rocket.

"Lucario, you're all right!" Korrina hurried to his side and hugged him. Lucario handed Korrina her glove. "And you got the Key Stone back! You're the best!"

After pausing to enjoy this moment, we all turned our anger to Team Rocket.

"I say we settle this with a Pokémon battle, and may the worst twerp lose!" Meowth said.

"Looks like you've found your 100th battle, Korrina." I said. Korrina grinned deviously at Team Rocket.

"How about a tag battle?" Ash said.

"Gladly." Korrina said.

Serena, Clemont, Bonnie and I took a few steps back while Korrina and Ash approached Team Rocket.

"Pumpkaboo, Shadow Ball!"

"Inkay, use Psybeam!"

"Lucario, use Bone Rush!" Lucario spun the glowing bone in its hand like a helicopter propeller, and the enemy attacks were deflected.

"We're not through! Inkay, I want you to use Tackle on Lucario!" Inkay lunged at Lucario.

"Lucario, Power-Up Punch!" With the glowing bone in his right hand, Lucario pulled back his left hand as it glowed with orange energy. With a grunt, he thrust his fist into Inkay, launching it up into the sky. He leaped after it and swung the glowing bone, rocketing Inkay into the ground.

"Must I fix everything?! Shadow Ball!" Pumpkaboo began to form its attack.

"All right, Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Pikachu's attack hit Team Rocket, and they went blasting off into the sky.

"Aw... I forgot to get their footprints." Korrina said. She giggled. "Guess it's too late now."

* * *

"Thank you all for helping me get Lucario back." Korrina said after we climbed out of the canyon. "Now that we've gotten 100 victorious battles in a row, we're heading to Geosenge Town."

"Hey... Can we go with you?" Ash said. "I'd like to see Lucario's Mega Evolution."

"We all do!" Serena said, clapping her hands together.

Korrina smiled. "You bet you can! We'll all get to see it!" she said. "Now that that's settled, let's go!"

Korrina and Lucario took off into the forest.

"Do we really have to run?!" Clemont said. "It's like you guys are _trying_ to kill me..."


	22. Cave of Trials

"We did it!" Korrina cried, clasping Lucario's paws and jumping up and down. "We finally made it to Geosenge Town, Lucario! Now it's time for you to Mega Evolve! Let's go!"

Korrina and Lucario sprinted ahead of us. We entered the town and browsed the streets. Many markets displayed stones of different shapes and colors.

"Korrina, do you even know where to find the Lucarionite?" Ash said.

"Not a clue." Korrina said.

"How do you intend to find it if you don't even know where to look?" Serena sweatdropped.

"Grandpa said I'll know once I arrive in Geosenge Town, so I assumed I'd find it immediately."

"Assumed?" Ash groaned.

"That sounds like someone I know." I chuckled. "No wonder why you two get along so well; you're exactly alike."

Serena's attention was grabbed by a window display full of evolution stones. "There are so many pretty stones!"

"I want one!" Bonnie said.

A man came out with a Sun Stone. He called his Helioptile out and gave the Sun Stone to it, evolving it into a Heliolisk.

"Hey, Clemont, how did your Helioptile evolve?" Bonnie said.

"I used a Sun Stone as well. It's the only way you can evolve Helioptile." Clemont said.

Bonnie turned to Ash. "What about Pikachu? Shouldn't it be able to evolve into Raichu?"

"It can, but Pikachu doesn't want to." Ash said. "It's been a Pikachu ever since I first got it."

"Okay!" Korrina said, disrupting our conversation. "Time to find that Lucarionite! If we ask around the shops, we're bound to find it!"

I wished it were that easy. Every shopkeeper we came across didn't have a clue as to where the Lucarionite could be. In fact, most of them said they didn't even know what it _was_.

"Did _any_ of you find something?" Korrina said when we all met at the town's stonehenge. We all shook our heads, and Korrina groaned. "It's got to be here somewhere! Grandpa said it was here!"

"But if you think about it, if it was that easy to find one, far more Mega Evolutions would be reported." Clemont said. "It must be a valuable stone, after all."

"How should we look for it, then?" Serena said.

Korrina perked up. "Now that I think about it, Grandpa told me that finding the stone is part of my training. We can't get discouraged now! I have to find it by myself to truly be able to mega evolve!"

"You're right. It's too early to give up!" Ash said. "So... what do we do now?"

"Hello, over there!" We turned and saw a photographer approach us, a camera propped against his shoulder. "Welcome to Geosenge Town! I'm McGinty from the local photo studio. How about a souvenir photo as a memento of your journey?"

"A souvenir photo? Let's take one!" Bonnie said, tugging on Clemont's arm.

"That's a good idea. We're traveling together, and a photo will help to preserve the memory!" Serena said.

"Are you sure about that?" Clemont said. "I'd rather keep my memories as intangible items."

"It's settled!" Korrina said. "I can show my grandpa proof that I made it to Geosenge Town!"

"All right. Everyone gather together." McGinty said. We stood in front of the stonehenge. "A little to the left... Now, everyone move in closer."

"Clemont, are you okay?" I said. Clemont was as stiff as a post with a plastered smile.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine!" Clemont mumbled through clenched teeth.

"Say cheese!" McGinty said.

I laughed and planted my hands on his shoulders, startling his fake smile off. I leaned over his shoulder, my head next to his. Clemont glanced at me and smiled, a lot sincerer this time, and looked back at the camera as it flashed. McGinty handed the memory card to his assistant and sent him to print out the photo.

"McGinty, do you know where we could find evolution stones?" Clemont said.

"I've heard evolution stones can be found up in a cave that's hidden inside the mountain." McGinty pointed at the mountain that loomed over the town.

"Do you know anything about Lucarionite?" Korrina said.

"I don't think I've ever heard of that before... Although I do remember hearing about a cave where it's possible to locate a special kind of evolution stone. If you go even farther into the mountain than the cave I already told you about, you'll find a small entrance to another cave. That's where it is."

"That might be where the Lucarionite is!"

"You know," McGinty continued, "it's said that terrible things can happen to people who are not worthy enough to enter."

"Terrible things?" Serena said.

"I can't tell you for sure, but there's some evidence that bad things really do happen there, and that's why the people from this town never, _ever_ venture into that cave!"

"That's not gonna scare me off." Korrina said. "I know the Lucarionite's in there, and I'm gonna find it! Let's go!"

"Wait!" McGinty cried when Korrina and Lucario tried to run. McGinty's assistant returned and handed copies of our picture to him. "You forgot your photos!"

"Oh... Right."

McGinty handed each of us a copy of the photo.

"They turned out well." I said. I turned to Clemont and pointed at his picture self. "You look a little more relaxed, Clemont."

Clemont chuckled nervously. "It's all thanks to you."

"I'm gonna show this picture to all the girls I meet!" Bonnie said. "Once they see this picture of you, they'll line up just to get to know you!"

Clemont blushed. "Bonnie..." he grumbled.

* * *

We headed up the mountain path. As we jogged up the winding path, we passed by two large boulders propped together. I skidded to a stop and studied the boulders.

" _Is something wrong?_ " Sylveon said.

I tapped a finger on my chin. "Sylveon, can you lift Zoroark into the air?"

Sylveon nodded and wrapped her ribbons around Zoroark. She lifted her above the rocks.

"Do you see anything?" I said.

" _There's a path._ " Zoroark said. Sylveon brought her back to the ground. " _Maybe this leads to the secret cave entrance McGinty talked about._ "

" _But he never said it would be blocked._ " Sylveon said.

"Someone must've blocked the path." I glanced down the path. My friends were way ahead of us. "Sylveon, Zoroark, help me move these boulders."

Together, the three of us cast Protect and wedged it in between the boulders. Zoroark and Sylveon moved one boulder while I moved the other, and we cleared the path.

"Rylee, you found the path!" Korrina said as the others hurried over to us. "Lucario could sense the Lucarionite, and it brought us back over here."

"Actually, I think someone blocked the path." I said. "Probably to keep us out."

"Who would do that?" Ash said.

I shrugged, and we headed down the path. At the end of the path was the cave entrance.

"It's in here! The Lucarionite is just within our grasp!" Korrina said. She took a step towards the cave, but stopped.

"But... it's pitch black in there!"

"I'll take care of this. Clemontic Gear, on!" Clemont activated his backpack's flashlight and pointed it into the cave.

A collection of screams echoed from inside the cave. Serena yelped and clung to Bonnie.

"What was that?!" she cried.

There was a brief gust of wind, and Team Rocket flew out of the cave, one by one, and into the sky.

"Um..." I said. "Well that explains who blocked the path."

"Lucario, let's go in." Korrina said. Lucario nodded, and they entered the path with Clemont lighting the way.

"Stay close. It might be dangerous." Ash said as he and I entered the cave. Serena and Bonnie whimpered, and they hurried over to us. Serena held onto Ash's while Bonnie maintained a vice grip on my hand.

"You'll protect me, won't you, Rylee?" Bonnie said.

I chuckled and squeezed her hand. "Don't worry. That's my specialty."

At the end of the cave were old, wooden, double doors. They were already open from Team Rocket entering, and a blue light leaked from it. We peeked into the room. Inside was a glowing blue lake. A narrow pathway led to a tall staircase at the end. Six pillars, three on each side, lined the pathway, and they all had the Mega Stone symbol on top. At the top of the staircase was a bronze pedestal, and on top of that was a glowing orange stone.

"It's the Lucarionite! We found it!" Korrina said. "Let's go get it!"

Korrina and Lucario ran down the pathway towards the Mega Stone. Halfway across, a Blaziken dove down from the ceiling. Lucario brought his hands up and blocked its foot. He pushed it back. Blaziken jumped back and landed in front of the Lucarionite.

"Are you okay, Lucario?" Korrina said.

"That Blaziken must be guarding the Lucarionite." I said. "It must also be what drove Team Rocket out of here."

"I see." Korrina smiled at Blaziken. "If we defeat you, we'll get the Lucarionite."

Blaziken nodded.

"I want you guys to stay back." Korrina took off her backpack and tossed it to Ash. "This is our battle."

"No worries. We'll be right here." Bonnie whimpered. My fingers grew numb.

Korrina took off the tank top she wore over her red and white dress and tossed it aside. She strapped on her helmet and smiled.

"Lucario, Power-Up Punch!"

Lucario got a running start and leaped into the air. He brought his fist back as it glowed with orange energy. He dove fist-first towards Blaziken. Blaziken jumped out of the way, and Lucario punched the ground, creating a thin layer of dust. Blaziken used Blaze Kick and kicked Lucario in the chest, sending him flying. Lucario went into a back handspring to regain his balance. Blaziken charged with double Blaze Kicks.

"Lucario, dodge it!"

Blaziken attacked quickly, leaving Lucario with barely enough time to react.

"Use Metal Sound!"

Lucario brought the spikes on the back of his paws together and emitted a harsh screech. Blaziken covered its ears. Lucario sprinted towards Blaziken with double Power-Up Punch. With a roar, he thrust his fist at Blaziken. Blaziken did the same, and their fists met. Lucario threw the other punch, but Blaziken dodged it and engulfed Lucario in Flamethrower. Lucario was launched into the ceiling. He came back down and crashed onto the ground.

"Blaziken is so strong..." Serena said. "Maybe too strong for Lucario."

"Blaziken is a Fire- and Fighting-type. That's not a good match-up. That plus its incredible speed... Things aren't looking so good for Lucario."

"Lucario!" Korrina skated towards Lucario. Blaziken used Flamethrower, and it crashed in front of Korrina. She lost her balance, and she fell to the ground. As she fell, her souvenir photo slipped out of her pocket and shriveled up in the flames.

Blaziken walked over and picked up Lucario by the head. He lifted him up and threw him against the wall. Lucario fell into the water.

"We've got to do something!" Bonnie said.

"Korrina said this is her fight." I said. "She can handle this."

"Yeah. Isn't that right, Korrina?" Ash said, raising his voice so she could hear.

Korrina stood up and glanced back at us with a smile. "No matter who we're up against in battle, we'll never turn and run the other way! Right, Lucario?"

Lucario climbed to his feet and growled.

"Lucario, Power-Up Punch!"

With glowing fists, Lucario lunged at Blaziken, punching repeatedly at it. Blaziken dodged and deflected several. The last one made a little bit of contact, causing Blaziken to stumble back. Lucario summoned double Bone Rushes and flourished them. He lunged at Blaziken and dealt several hits to it. Blaziken fell to the ground, and Lucario thrust the Bone Rushes into the ground, hovering in an X over Blaziken's neck. Lucario summoned more Bone Rushes, each one landing around Blaziken to keep it in place.

"Lucario, let's finish this up!"

Lucario roared as his fist ignited with orange energy. He lunged at Blaziken.

"Enough!" a voice boomed in the cave. Lucario's attack stopped right above Blaziken's chest and faded. A silhouette emerged from behind the staircase. "You have won."

The silhouette walked out from the shadows, revealing a bald man with beady gray eyes and _very_ long, eyebrows. He wore a gray sweatsuit with a red shirt underneath.

"Grandpa?!" Korrina said.

" _That's_ Korrina's grandfather?" Ash said.

"My name is Gurkinn. People call me the Mega Evolution guru." Gurkinn said. He walked to Blaziken's side and returned it to its PokéBall.

"What's going on, Grandpa? Why did you do this?" Korrina said. We hurried over to her side.

"I knew that you would complete your training and make it here successfully, so I thought I'd give you this final trial myself. You overcame it beautifully, as I knew you would. You passed this final test with flying colors. Well done." Gurkinn said, resting a hand on Korrina's shoulder. "Now, go and take what you've earned."

Korrina nodded and ran to the staircase. She climbed to the top and picked up the rock containing the Lucarionite.

* * *

We returned to the stonehenge, and McGinty was still there.

"Hello, there, kids! Did you find what you were looking for?" McGinty said.

"We sure did!" Korrina said, holding up the Lucarionite. "I'm sorry, Mr. McGinty. You took such a nice photo, but mine got burnt up."

"I see. Well, we'll just have to print you out another one, then." McGinty looked over our shoulder as Gurkinn joined us. "See? It looks like it went well. Your granddaughter really is something special."

"She's _my_ granddaughter; of course she is!" Gurkinn said.

"Do you... know each other?" Ash said.

McGinty chuckled. "Actually, Gurkinn asked me to help him out in your quest to locate the Lucarionite."

"So you _knew_?"

"You mean we didn't have to run around the length of the entire town? _Twice_?" Clemont groaned.

"Thank you all for helping me to get the Lucarionite. I couldn't have done this without you." Korrina said.

"C'mon! I want to see Lucario Mega Evolve!" Bonnie said, jumping up and down.

Korrina nodded. She and Lucario walked to the center of the stonehenge. Korrina handed Lucario the Mega Stone.

"Here we go." Korrina said, taking a deep breath. "Lucario, Mega Evolve!"


	23. Power Overload

Korrina touched her Key Stone, and white energy burst from it. Orange energy burst from the Lucarionite, matching the stone that encased it. The two energies met, and Lucario glowed magenta. The light strengthened, and we covered our eyes. When the light faded, we looked and saw Mega Lucario.

"We did it!" Korrina cried. She ran towards Mega Lucario and wrapped her arms around it. "We really did it!"

"Congratulations, Korrina!" Ash said.

"Thanks!" Korrina turned to Gurkinn. "Well, Grandpa? We overcame our trials and did it! It was worth it, right?"

Mega Lucario threw a punch and a kick into the air, creating a burst of wind that rustled my hair.

"Wow, we can definitely feel your aura." Ash said, holding onto the rim of his hat.

"I know! It's so strong! This is great!" Korrina said.

Lucario threw more punches and kicks, creating ripples of aura that hit us like gusts of wind.

"I wonder how strong Lucario is now that it's Mega Evolved." Serena said.

"I've been waiting for you to ask that." Clemont said, shoving a radio dish into our faces that was attached to his invention. "This machine will make you wonder no more!"

"What is it?"

Clemont chuckled and stood up. "The future is now, thanks to science! This device will shed some light on the power of Mega Evolution. I call it the Pokémon Power Meter!"

"Boring... But it says what it does." Bonnie mumbled.

Clemont shrugged off Bonnie comment with a grumble. He pointed the radio dish at Mega Lucario. "Now, observe. It uses pre-existing Pokémon data as the reference value. Point it at your subject, and power on! A Pokémon's power is instantly measured!" Clemont pulled a lever on the side of the machine, activating the machine. "It's a must-have if you want to keep track of your Pokémon's development!"

"Wow, science is so amazing!" Ash said. Zoroark and Sylveon immediately took a step back.

"My Mega Lucario might be stronger than _your_ Mega Lucario!" Korrina called to Gurkinn.

"Ha! Confident, aren't we?" Gurkinn said. Mega Lucario threw another punch, sending out a wave of aura. The gauge level on Clemont's machine rocketed up.

"Want to try out your new power?" Korrina said, gripping Mega Lucario's paws in her hands. Mega Lucario nodded.

"How about Pikachu and I battle you?" Ash said. "We want to get a taste of our Shalour City Gym battle."

"Sounds good to me!"

The rest of us took a few steps back as Ash and Korrina created space for the battle.

"Mega Lucario's first battle! This is going to be great!" Korrina said. "Get ready for a taste of Mega Evolution! Use Bone Rush!"

Mega Lucario brought his paws together and formed a bone of glowing energy. It split into two, and Mega Lucario charged.

"Pikachu, counter it with Iron Tail!"

Pikachu's tail glowed silver, and it knocked it into one of the Bone Rushes. It slipped out of Mega Lucario's hand and flew off into the air, crashing into a nearby hill and chipping off a chunk of it. Mega Lucario lost its balance and fell to the ground.

"Wow, look at the force of that Bone Rush! Simply incredible!" Clemont said, adjusting his glasses as he studied the gauge. "It's almost double compared to the reference data!"

"Unbelievable!" Serena gushed. "It's so powerful!"

"It seems weird for Lucario to miss an attack like that." Ash said.

"Lucario will be able to control its power in no time, then we'll be unbeatable!" Korrina said. Mega Lucario dispelled his other Bone Rush with a growl. "Don't worry, you're not used to your power yet. You will be soon. I believe in you!"

"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!"

Pikachu charged at Mega Lucario, his contour glowing white as he leaped to and fro with blinding speeds.

"Power-Up Punch!"

Mega Lucario's fist ignited with orange energy as he sprinted towards Pikachu. In the blink of an eye, he appeared right in front of Pikachu. Pikachu used his Quick Attack to dodge. Lucario chased after Pikachu.

My blood chilled. There was something very frightening about the look on Mega Lucario's face.

"Guys. Get back." I said, stretching my arm in front of Serena, Bonnie, and Clemont.

"What's wrong?" Serena said.

"Something's wrong with Lucario. Something _very_ wrong."

Pikachu tried to run, but Lucario practically teleported in front of Pikachu and blocked his path.

"What's the matter? Can't you keep up?" Korrina said.

"Korrina! Stop the battle!" I cried, running to her side.

"What? Why? We're winning!"

Mega Lucario whipped around and glared at me. I gasped at his hunched stance, his arms dangling in front of him. His face was contorted, an expression similar to someone critically insane.

"Get out of the way!" I shoved Korrina to the side. Mega Lucario teleported in front of me, and I nearly wet my shorts. Mega Lucario hurled Power-Up Punch at me. I gasped and summoned Protect to block it. The impact sent me skidding across the ground.

"Rylee!" my friends cried.

"Lucario, what's wrong?!" Korrina said.

I scrambled to my feet. The four long appendages on the back of Mega Lucario's head lifted into the air. He summoned double Bone Rushes and lunged at me. I summoned two swords made of Protect and countered the attack.

"Stop, Lucario! Listen to me, please!" Korrina cried.

Korrina's pleas couldn't reach Lucario's ears. With a grunt, I shoved him back. I let go of my Protect swords and they floated at my side. I brought my hands together. They formed AncientPower, and I chucked it at Mega Lucario. With a menacing growl, Lucario dispelled one Bone Rush and used the other like a baseball bat. He swung it into the AncientPower, knocking it back towards me at double speed. I gasped and jumped out of the way, away from my friends. Before I could fully recover, Mega Lucario jumped into the air and summoned Power-Up Punch.

"Lucario, _stop_!" Korrina screamed.

A surge of blue light flashed, and a second Lucario appeared in front of me. He lifted his arm up and blocked Mega Lucario's attack. Intense waves of aura spread throughout the area, hitting us like a hurricane.

"Korrina, Lucario, _enough_." Gurkinn said.

"Rylee!" Clemont called. Gurkinn's Lucario held a paw out to my friends, telling them not to come any closer. If they did, they might get attacked by Mega Lucario, too.

Mega Lucario slowly inched towards us, his face twitching and beady eyes shaking. I gulped as a sweat trickled down the back of my neck. Finally, Mega Lucario growled weakly and fell to his knees and collapsed onto the ground. Magenta light washed over him briefly, and he reverted to his original form. The Lucarionite tumbled away. Gurkinn picked up the Lucarionite and petted Lucario's head. Gurkinn handed the Lucarionite to McGinty.

I breathed a shaky sigh of relief and leaned against a stone arch.

"Are you all right?" Clemont said as he, Bonnie, and Serena rushed over to me.

"Yeah..." I panted. "Although I may have nightmares for the next couple of days."

"Lucario!" Korrina glided over to Lucario and fell at his side. "Rylee, I'm _so_ sorry! What in the world happened?"

"Don't worry about me. Let's focus on getting to a Pokémon Center." I said, looking between Lucario and Pikachu, both severely injured.

* * *

We waited silently in the Pokémon Center for the reassuring chimes of successful healing to sound. Korrina kept her eyes to the floor as she wrung her hands and leaned against the door frame. Finally, when the chimes happened, we all stood up straight. Nurse Joy and Wigglytuff came in, rolling Pikachu on a gurney.

"Pikachu!" Ash said. Pikachu jumped into his arms. "Thank goodness you're all right!"

"Nurse Joy, how's Lucario?" Korrina asked.

"Wait just a little bit longer. Lucario's completely exhausted, but getting better. Don't worry." Nurse Joy said.

"Thanks..."

"Exhaustion is no surprise." Gurkinn said. "The power of Mega Evolution can be too much to handle at first."

"Do you mean Lucario's aura?" Korrina said. Gurkinn nodded. She turned to me and Ash. "Ash... I'm so sorry. It got to the point where I didn't know what to do. Rylee, if you hadn't caught on to Lucario's condition and stepped in... who knows what would've happened to Pikachu?"

"It definitely surprised us. In fact, I think it also surprised Lucario." Ash said. "It's okay."

"Ash is right. After evolving, this kind of situation happens all the time. You shouldn't think what happened to your Lucario was unusual." Clemont said.

Korrina's eyes trembled with tears, and her lip quivered.

"Korrina," I said, resting a hand on her shoulder, "everything will be okay. Lucario will get better, and then you can help him to master Mega Evolution."

Korrina's smile returned. "You're right. If any Pokémon will be able to control its new power, it's Lucario." She turned to Nurse Joy. "Please, take care of Lucario."

Nurse Joy nodded. "You can count on me." She and Wigglytuff retreated into the infirmary.

"Mega Evolution's a lot harder than I thought." Serena said, heaving a big sigh.

"That's exactly why it's so incredible." Clemont said.

Gurkinn walked over and sat down at one of the booths. Korrina and Ash followed him.

"Did your Lucario have these difficulties in the beginning, too?" Korrina asked Gurkinn.

"In a way. No one gets everything perfect on their first attempt. But still..." Gurkinn said. "That battle you had with Ash was hardly worthy of praise."

"But didn't you hear what the others said? We're just getting warmed up!"

"Warmed up?!" Gurkinn said sharply. "If we weren't fortunate to have a Pokémon Guardian like Rylee to detect Lucario's distress and intervene, Pikachu would be a lot more than injured right now." Korrina flinched and bowed her head shamefully.

I sweatdropped. "How did you know I'm a Pokémon Guardian?"

Gurkinn nodded. "I knew the moment you tried to stop the battle. I've become acquainted with Mega Evolution researchers who were Pokémon Guardians. They've all done what you did."

I chuckled nervously. The Pokémon Center's front doors opened, and McGinty approached us with a box in his arms.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." McGinty said. "I finished up what you asked for."

McGinty opened the box, revealing a cuff with the Lucarionite inserted into it.

"Wow! This is great!" Korrina said, picking up the cuff.

"And here's a new photo for you." McGinty handed another copy of our souvenir photo to Korrina.

"Thank you."

"What do you think happened to Mega Lucario to cause it to act the way it did?" Clemont said.

Gurkinn gestured for us to sit. My friends sat on one side, Korrina, Gurkinn, and McGinty sat on the other side, and I pulled out a chair from another table and sat at the end.

"It just Mega Evolved for the first time, so it probably got carried away." Korrina said.

"It felt like we were up against a completely different Pokémon than the last time we had a battle." Ash said.

"It was scary to watch..." Bonnie said.

"Lucario just went a little wild!" Korrina said.

"Each Pokémon reacts to Mega Evolution in a different way." Gurkinn said.

"Like Diantha and her Gardevoir. We met them both, and saw it Mega Evolve!" Ash said.

"Although, Mega Gardevoir seemed completely different from Lucario." Clemont said.

"Mega Gardevoir seemed so elegant, calm, and in control." Serena said. "On the other hand, Mega Lucario became super strong, but totally ignored Korrina's commands."

"Gardevoir has probably been in contact with Mega Evolution for a long time and is muchmore experienced than Lucario." I said.

"What _was_ happening to Lucario?" Clemont said.

Korrina gripped Lucario's cuff. "I need to find out. When it refused to listen to me, it felt so strange."

"It could mean the power of Mega Evolution is simply too strong for your Lucario to handle." Gurkinn said. "It's believed the strength of Lucario's aura is heightened to its limit when it Mega Evolves. During a battle, every nerve in its body is concentrating on battle, so it's unable to think about anything else. That's why its heightened aura awakens its battling instincts so strongly."

"You're right. That instinct completely took over..."

"It's not unheard of for a Mega Evolved Pokémon to lose control during a battle." McGinty said.

"So, Korrina needs to find out a way to control that." Ash said.

"That's right. And it is a power she must make her own as the Shalour City Gym Leader." Gurkinn said.

Nurse Joy and Wigglytuff entered the room again, this time with Lucario.

"Lucario!" Korrina jumped out of her seat, ran over to Lucario, and threw her arms around him. "How do you feel? Are you okay? You do recognize me, right?" Lucario nodded, and Korrina laughed with relief. She offered the cuff with the Lucarionite to Lucario. She attached it to his wrist. She placed her hands on his shoulders. "Lucario, we've both learned that mastering Mega Evolution is a whole lot of hard work. But if anyone can do it, we can!"

"Korrina, please come with me. I think we should have a battle." Gurkinn said.

"A battle? It's been so long!" Korrina grinned. "We'll master Mega Evolution this time, for sure."

Gurkinn's scowl deepened, and he turned and walked away. "It appears you don't understand what Mega Evolution is really about. Come outside."

* * *

We stood on the sidelines of the battlefield while Gurkinn and Korrina stood on opposite ends with their Lucario.

"Of course we know what Mega Evolution's about! Let's show him how strong we've become!" Korrina said. Her Lucario stepped onto the battlefield.

"This will be a Mega Evolution battle." Gurkinn said.

"All set! Time to Mega Evolve!" Korrina touched her Key Stone, and energy burst from it, Mega Evolving Lucario. Gurkinn did the same, Mega Evolving his Lucario.

"Do you think the same thing in Ash's battle will happen in this one?" Bonnie said. "What if Lucario gets out of control again?"

I smiled and couched down to Bonnie's height. "Don't worry. If Lucario acts up again, he's got me and Gurkinn's Lucario to deal with before he can get to any of you."

Bonnie smiled and focused her eyes on the battle. I stood up straight, and my face fell.

 _That power Lucario had was incredible... and terrifying._ I thought as I watched Korrina's Lucario lunged at Gurkinn's with a Power-Up Punch. _If Gurkinn hadn't stepped in, who knows what it could've done? Korrina doesn't understand what's at stake if Lucario can't learn to control Mega Evolution. Gurkinn's right about her not understanding._

Gurkinn's Lucario blocked the Power-Up Punch with a sweep of his arm. A wave of aura knocked Korrina's Lucario back. It tumbled to the ground.

"Gurkinn's Lucario has complete control over Mega Evolution." McGinty explained. "The fact is, it's only when a Pokémon and trainer are able to truly understand one another that an aura heightened to its complete and utter limit can be controlled like that."

"Come on! Stop treating me like a little kid and battle me seriously!" Korrina said.

Gurkinn's long eyebrow twitched. "That's what we're doing. This is how Aura Pokémon _should_ be battling. Now, Bone Rush!"

"Use Bone Rush, too!"

Korrina's Lucario summoned double Bone Rushes while Gurkinn's summoned one. The two lunged at each other and battled, clashing their Bone Rushes together. Korrina's Lucario leaped into the air and threw both his Bone Rushes at Gurkinn's. Gurkinn's Lucario blocked them. Korrina's Lucario swept his leg under Gurkinn's and knocked him off his feet. Gurkinn's Lucario struck his Bone Rush into the ground and stood back onto his feet.

"It's best you don't underestimate us." Gurkinn said. Korrina's Lucario's Bone Rushes returned to his side, and he reached out and caught them. "Aura Sphere!"

Gurkinn's Lucario brought his hands together as a ball of blue aura power formed. He hurled it at Korrina's Lucario.

"Use Bone Rush! Crush it!"

Korrina's Lucario brought up the two Bone Rushes, and the Aura Sphere hit them. The power, however, was too strong, and it knocked him back to the ground.

"Gurkinn's Lucario's aura is much stronger." Ash commented.

"You can do it, Lucario!" Korrina cried. "You're the strongest, right? I know you can beat their Aura Sphere!"

Slowly, Korrina's Lucario hoisted himself onto his feet. However, he was hunched over and his arms dangled in front of him. The appendages on the back of his head lifted into the air. The look of pure insanity returned, sending chills up my spine.

"It's happening again." I said. My friends inched behind me.

"So, the real battle begins." Gurkinn said with his arms crossed. His Lucario readied himself.

"Lucario! Can you hear me?!" Korrina called. "Use Swords Dance!"

Instead, Korrina's Lucario sprinted towards Gurkinn's with Power-Up Punch.

"Stop it, now." Gurkinn's Lucario lifted his arm and intercepted the attack. Korrina's Lucario swung his foot around. "Dodge it with your aura."

Gurkinn's Lucario disappeared and reappeared behind Korrina's.

"Lucario, listen to me! Bone Rush!"

"Aura Sphere!"

As Korrina's Lucario turned around, Gurkinn's summoned Aura Sphere and launched it at him. Korrina's Lucario went flying and landed on the ground. He reverted to his original form.

"Our battle is over." Gurkinn said. He turned to his Lucario, and he reverted to his original form. "Well done."

"Lucario!" Korrina cried as she fell at her Lucario's side.

"We've got a lot of work ahead..." McGinty said.

"Lucario, wake up!" Korrina shook Lucario's shoulders. Lucario opened his eyes. Korrina smiled and helped him sit up. "You're okay. Thank goodness." Gurkinn loomed over Korrina. Her eyes shook, and she bowed her head. "It's hard... But why?! It Mega Evolved again, but we still couldn't control it!"

"I'm afraid the only ones to blame for the lack of change are you two." Gurkinn said. "Now, Lucario, the reason you're consumed by your aura is because of your overconfidence regarding your power. Attacking excessively without Korrina's command is nothing short of arrogant. And Korrina, because you allow Lucario to do just that, it shows you don't truly understand it. The way things are now, becoming stronger is impossible. You two have spent too much time together, and because you believe you truly understand each other, you have unfortunately neglected the training that would make you stronger. It's this sort of immature behavior that's unbecoming of the Shalour Gym Leader!"

"I don't get this..." Korrina mumbled. "I don't get this at 've battled so much..."

"Why, you _fool_!" Gurkinn shrieked. We recoiled in shock. "I order you to go on another training journey! There's a trainer who has guided me since I was young who lives on Pomace Mountain. This trainer also has a Mega Evolved Pokémon. I'm certain they will teach you what you need to be able to see beyond the surface of Mega Evolution."

"Okay." Korrina stood up.

"Korrina, can we come with you?" Ash said. "We can train together."

"Here it is on the map." Serena said, showing us her Town Map.

"Look on the bright side. This is also so you can become stronger."

Korrina smiled. "I know you're right, Ash."

"Training will be a lot more fun if you have company." Serena said.

"I want to go, too!" Bonnie said.

"We'll all go together." Ash said. "I want to beat you guys when you're both super strong. Now that Lucario can Mega Evolve, you'll do it. And once you're there, I'll challenge you."

"Once we master Mega Evolution, you won't be able to win a Shalour Gym Badge, you know!" Korrina said.

"There's no way to know until then! The sooner we get started, the sooner we can find out the answer."

"You're on! Let's go!"

My friends headed into the Pokémon Center.

"Rylee," I turned and faced Gurkinn, "I need you to watch over Korrina. I'm afraid my granddaughter has yet to fully understand Mega Evolution."

"I agree." I said.

"If Mega Lucario acts up again, I need you to be the one who stops it."

"Are you sure you think I can handle that? I barely scraped by the first time it happened."

Gurkinn nodded. "I don't doubt your powers as a Pokémon Guardian. I hope you don't either."

I paused and nodded. "I'll take care of Korrina. You can count on me."

"Thank you."

I turned and headed into the Pokémon Center.

" _Hooray... More responsibility..._ " Zoroark mumbled.

" _Think of this as... an exciting challenge._ " Sylveon said.

" _All right, then. I'm tripping you when Lucario goes all coocoo for Cocoa Puffs again._ "


	24. Eternal Bonds

"Korrina, you said you've known Lucario since you were both little, right?" I said.

Korrina nodded. "We've been together since I was a little girl and Lucario was a Riolu."

"What sort of training have you done?"

"Hm... Well, the Shalour Gym is a Fighting-type Gym, so trainers and Pokémon alike work hard because we need to be powerful. I battled Grandpa's Lucario many times."

"That seems like excellent training." Clemont said.

"Yeah. Grandpa also introduced me to so many trainers in the process. One of them had an Ampharos, and it could Mega Evolve!"

"Another Pokémon that can Mega Evolve. There sure is a lot of them." Ash said, swallowing his sandwich whole.

"It may seem like it, but compared to the hundreds of types that exist, it's pretty small." I said.

"Do you think Celebi is capable of Mega Evolving?" Ash said to me, his eyes twinkling.

I chuckled. "Even if I could Mega Evolve, how would I be able to? I'm my own trainer, so does that mean I have to have a strong bond with myself?"

"Um... Yes?"

I rolled my eyes and helped pack up lunch. We headed further down the path until we came to a cave entrance.

"The map says this is a shortcut to Pomace Mountain." Serena said.

"Sounds good to me! Let's go!" Korrina said, hurrying ahead of us and into the cave.

We entered the cave. We came to a fork in the path, with one path leading to the right and the other to the left.

"Which way should we go?" Ash said.

"It's like a maze in here. If we lose our way, we're in serious trouble." Clemont said.

"No problem! If we trust our instincts, we'll be fine!" Korrina said. She pointed towards the right path. "It's this way."

"It's like we're traveling with two Ash." Bonnie sweatdropped.

We followed Korrina down the path. We paused when we heard a collection of cries coming from the way we came. We turned and saw a flock of Noibat fly over our heads and surround us, their cries filling the cavern's walls.

"Get this off me!" Serena's muffled voice cried as she flailed with a Noibat on her face.

Clemont sprinted around the area with a Noibat's jaw hinged to his rear end. Two Noibat grabbed Pikachu by the ears and carried him around. Sylveon and Zoroark snickered at my side, surrounded by Protect that they cast on themselves.

"This way!" I called, running down the path.

The Noibats' cries faded, and the shining light of an exit appeared ahead. We stopped and caught our breath.

"That was too crazy." Korrina said. "Those Noibat were chasing me around."

"At least you didn't have one gnawing on your butt!" Clemont said. "I don't think I'll be able to sit for a few days..."

Pikachu looked around. " _Where did Ash and the others go?_ "

We absorbed our surroundings and realized it was just the fours of us; Ash, Bonnie, Serena, and Lucario were gone.

"Maybe they went down another path during all the commotion." I said. "Let's head back inside and look for them."

"Can I stay out here?" Clemont said.

"Come on!" Korrina grabbed Clemont's arm and dragged him into the cave.

We called the names of our friends as we ventured deeper into the cave. The only responses we received were from our own echoes. By the time we came back outside, the sun began to set.

"We should find someplace safe for the night. We can look for the others in the morning." Clemont said.

Korrina knit her eyebrows and glanced back inside the cave.

"I'm sure Lucario and the others are fine. They probably made their way out, too." I said.

* * *

We built a roaring fire as the moon reached its peaking point. Clemont finished fixing up some dinner and handed me a bowl.

"Thank you." I smiled. I turned to Pikachu, who sat in front of his food dish with drooping ears. "I know you're worried about Ash. I am, too."

" _You think they made it out okay?_ " Pikachu said.

"Ash has been in situations like this more times than I can count. He has a powerful Pokémon like Lucario to help him out if he needs it. We'll find him tomorrow, I promise. You need to eat so you'll have the energy for searching for the others."

Pikachu nodded and popped a food pellet into his mouth. We set up our sleeping bags, and the fire slowly dimmed as the night went on. Korrina sat above us on a rocky plateau and stared at the moon.

"Are you having troubles sleeping?" Clemont said.

"No..." Korrina said. "Well, maybe a little."

"There's no need to worry about Lucario. He's more than capable of taking care of himself, as well as the others. You just need to believe in him." I said.

Korrina nodded, but it didn't seem to assure her. Clemont racked his brain for something to say.

"You said you've known Lucario since you were little, right?" Clemont said.

"Yeah." Korrina said. "When we slept, when we played, it was always together. That never changed, even when Riolu became Lucario."

"Your relationship with Lucario is a lot like Ash's relationship with Pikachu." I said.

"Thing is, when Lucario isn't around, I just can't sleep."

Clemont and I looked at each other. We climbed up onto the rocky plateau and sat beside Korrina.

"I still don't understand what my Grandpa meant." Korrina said, holding her legs close to her chest. "How is Lucario still not able to control its aura? _Why_ is it unable to? What am I missing?"

"Something very important." I said. "When you tried to call out to Lucario those times... I believe it was unable to hear your voice."

Korrina's eyes shook with tears and realization. She stared at her knees. "How could I have not known before? Lucario's aura was so strong and it was suffering so much that it couldn't hear me." Korrina sighed. "I thought we understood each other, but it turns out we don't..."

"But now you're aware. It's a step forward."

Korrina looked at us and smiled. "I still have so much more to learn, though."

"And you'll do it, you and Lucario, together." Clemont said.

"Thank you." Korrina stood up. "I'm going to try and get some sleep. Good night."

Korrina hopped down the plateau and crawled into her sleeping bag.

"You know the bond between Pokémon and trainer, right? How strong it can get, like what we've seen with Diantha, Korrina, and Professor Sycamore?" Clemont said. I nodded. "What would happen if a bond like that was severed? Do you think there could be any chance of restoring it? Bringing it back to the way it once was?"

"It could be possible. It would take a lot of time, however. Time and trust." I said.

"I wonder... Do you think people can have the same thing?"

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe two people could create a bond between each other like they can with Pokémon. Strong enough where it's like they're deeply connected to each other." Clemont said. "And what happens if _that_ bond was severed? Would it be different between two people than with a Pokémon and trainer? Could it be possible to fix it?"

"Do _you_ think it's possible?"

Clemont stood up. "I don't know. I've only heard about something like that once, but I never knew of the outcome." He started to walk down the plateau and back to the campsite.

"Where did you hear it?" I said.

Clemont stopped and glanced back at me with a smile. "From you."

I gasped quietly. I watched Clemont hurry down to the campsite and crawl into his sleeping bag. I reached up and gripped my locket. A breeze picked up, and I shivered. I shook my head.

* * *

"Wake-y, wake-y!" a voice cried as I was shaken awake. Korrina hovered over me. "Did you sleep all night up here?"

I looked around and realized I was still on the plateau.

"I guess I did." I winced and massaged a sore spot on the small of my back. "I wouldn't recommend it, though."

Korrina helped me up. "Let's go find the others."

I nodded. A net of blue energy fell from the sky towards Pikachu. He saw it in time to jump out of the way.

"What was that?!" Korrina cried.

"Oh, boy." Clemont grumbled as he slung his backpack on and faced Team Rocket. "What do you want?"

"Isn't it simple? We want Pikachu and that Gym Leader's Key Stone." Jessie said.

"You're not gonna take anything from us!" Korrina said.

"Oh, really?" James said. Jessie and James called out Pumpkaboo and Inkay. I noticed the strange devices attached to their bodies: Inkay's was in the style of a headband and Pumpkaboo's in the style of its lower body.

"Don't forget this dynamic duo!" Meowth said, he and Wobbuffet wearing more technology.

"Witness our Mecha Evolution Power-Packed Amplifierama, Mark 2!" Jessie said.

 _They're almost as bad at names as Clemont._

"Using a device to amplify a Pokémon's power is wrong!" Clemont said.

" _You're_ wrong! Proved positive is my powered-up Inkay's Psybeam!"

Inkay shot Psybeam at us, and we leaped out of the way. The Psybeam hit a tree and knocked it down.

"Whoa. I'll admit, that's something." Korrina said.

"Please, this is just Team Rocket." I said. "Stand back. I'll handle this."

"Pumpkaboo, Dark Pulse!"

Pumpkaboo's attack zoomed towards me. I swiped my hand, and a trail of Protect followed and blocked the attack.

"That power is equivalent to Mega Lucario's sneeze." I said. "I'm really disappointed."

"Why, you little-!" Jessie growled.

"Zoroark, use Shadow Ball!"

Zoroark lifted her nose back as the dark power collected at its tip.

"Time for my Fury Swipes!" Meowth cried as the Shadow Ball zoomed towards them. His mechanical claws glowed. He brought them up to his face, and the Shadow Ball ricocheted away from him and towards Korrina.

"Korrina, look out!" Clemont cried.

Korrina yelped and covered her face. From down the path, Lucario sprinted towards us. He summoned Bone Rush and jumped in front of Korrina. He brought the Bone Rush up and blocked it.

"Lucario!" Korrina said.

"Behold, the approaching twerps." Jessie said.

"We're not the Team Rocket of days gone by!" James said.

"You're right. Now you've got a strange new wardrobe." I said. "Korrina, you take it from here."

"Me?" Korrina said. "What can I-?"

Lucario turned to Korrina and pointed at the Lucarionite attached to his cuff.

"Mega Evolve...?" Korrina said. "But what if the same thing as before happens again? I can't stand by and watch you suffer, Lucario!"

" _What other choice do we have?_ " Lucario said. Korrina flinched.

"Do it, Korrina." Ash said.

Korrina clenched her fist. "Okay. Lucario, Mega Evolve!"

Korrina touched her Key Stone, and energy burst from it. Lucario was bathed in magenta light, and when it evolved, he was in his Mega Evolved form.

I turned to my friends. "Go and stand over in the trees. I'll stay here and watch Lucario. If he gets out of hand again, I'll stop him."

My friends nodded, and they scurried into the nearby trees. They still poked their heads out to watch the battle. I walked over to Korrina's side.

"Are you ready?" I said.

"I don't know. I'm worried." Korrina said.

"Lucario doesn't want you to worry about him; he wants you to believe in him."

Korrina blinked in surprise and looked over at Mega Lucario, who glanced back at her with a smile. Korrina smiled back and nodded.

"Lucario, Bone Rush!"

Mega Lucario summoned Bone Rush and leaped into the air, knocking Inkay and Pumpkaboo aside by swinging it like a baseball bat.

"Way to go!" Ash called behind us.

Mega Lucario landed on the ground and dispelled Bone Rush. His fur bristled, and its appendages rose into the air.

"Oh, no." Korrina whispered. Mega Lucario turned around and glared at me. "Lucario, no!"

Slowly and calmly, I reached for Aegislash's PokéBall. "Korrina," I said, "remember what I told you. Lucario can't hear you. If the bond between you and him is as strong as you say it is, then prove it. Get him to listen to you!"

Korrina gulped. "Lucario, it's me, Korrina!" she cried. "I'm right here! Please, listen to me!"

Mega Lucario roared and summoned Bone Rush. He lunged at me. I jumped away as he slammed the Bone Rush into the ground, creating a deep crater.

"Stop, Lucario! Please!"

Mega Lucario focused his beady, red eyes on Korrina. He growled and sprinted towards Korrina.

"Korrina, no!" my friends cried.

Determination brimmed in Korrina's eyes. She held up the back of her hand, showing Mega Lucario the Key Stone. Mega Lucario's expression changed for a brief second, and the momentum of his swing stopped right above Korrina's head. He panted with quiet, throaty growls as his body trembled.

"Lucario..." Korrina said, looking him in the eyes. She smiled sadly. "I'm sorry, Lucario. I can't imagine the pain you're going through. I know you're confused; I know it hurts. But I'm right here." Korrina stepped closer. "Please, come back to me."

Mega Lucario's eyes dilated rapidly. He blinked, and they returned to normal. He noticed the Bone Rush positioned over Korrina's head and pulled it back.

Korrina smiled. "You did it." Mega Lucario nodded, and the two of them faced Team Rocket.

"Hold on! We didn't sign up for any of this mega mushiness!" Jessie cried.

"Lucario, use Bone Rush!"

Gripping the glowing bone in his hand, Mega Lucario swung at Pumpkaboo and Inkay again, sending them crashing into their trainers. Team Rocket blasted away.

"That was great!" Ash said as the others approached us.

Korrina turned to Mega Lucario. "Lucario, I'm so glad you could hear my voice."

Lucario's eyes shrunk again. He hunched over as his face contorted. My friends froze in their strides.

"No! Not again!" Korrina cried as Mega Lucario collapsed and reverted to his original form. "Lucario, are you okay?"

"They still have a long way to go from here." Clemont said.

"They'll figure it out." Ash said. "After watching that battle, I know it's possible."

"Thank you..." Korrina said. She turned back to Lucario and rested her hand over his paw.


	25. Blooming Hope

The manor of Gurkinn's friend was built into a tree. Their house was at the roots with smaller rooms higher up in the branches, with wooden bridges connecting them. Korrina knocked on the door.

"Hello? Is someone here?" she said. "My Grandpa Gurkinn told me to come and see you."

The door opened, and a Mawile greeted us.

" _Welcome._ " she said. She had a small, pink, orb pinned to the root of the large black jaws emerging from the back of her head.

"Where's your trainer?" Korrina said.

"Over here!" We turned and saw an elderly woman riding a floating cart. Attached to it was a large wheelbarrow full of flowers. Mawile hurried over to her. "Thank you for watching the house, Mawile. Welcome, children. My name is Mabel." Mabel looked to Korrina. "I was told you were coming. Why don't the two of you demonstrate how strong you are?"

"Of course."

* * *

We headed to an open field. Mabel and Korrina stood on opposite sides with their Pokémon while the others and I stood on the sidelines.

"All right, let's begin." Mabel said.

"Ready, Lucario? Mega Evolve!" Korrina touched her Key Stone and Lucario Mega Evolved.

Mabel held onto her hat as waves of aura hit us like gusts of wind. "Your Lucario has such divine aura." Mabel lifted her cane, revealing a Key Stone at the tip, and touched it. "Now, Mawile, Mega Evolve!"

The same magenta light bathed Mawile, and she Mega Evolved.

"Mega Mawile..." Ash said. "I can't wait to see how this battle turns out."

"Power-Up Punch!"

Mega Lucario got a running start before he leaped into the air. His fist flowed with orange energy, and he dove towards Mega Mawile.

"Jump, please."

Mega Mawile jumped out of the way. Mega Lucario growled and brought his hands together. He summoned Bone Rush.

"Bone Rush? I see..."

"Now, go for it!" Mega Lucario charged.

"All right, Mawile, dodge it."

Mega Lucario swung the glowing bone at Mega Mawile several times, but each time she gracefully dodged it.

"All right!" Korrina said.

"Korrina..." Ash said sternly, wiping the smile off her face.

"Right... We can't battle this way."

"Mawile, use Iron Head."

White energy showered over Mega Mawile's head, and as Mega Lucario lunged at her, she headbutted him and sent him flying. Mega Lucario landed in a crouch and dispelled the Bone Rush.

"Lucario, no! I need you to listen to what I tell you to do, okay?" Korrina said. Mega Lucario growled and stood up, hunched over. "Oh, no... Not again."

"Korrina managed to reach Lucario before, but it was only for a short time." Serena said. "Why is this still happening?"

Mega Lucario roared, shooting out waves of aura that whipped our hair around. He summoned Power-Up Punch and lunged at Mega Mawile.

"Stop, Lucario! Please, listen to me!" Korrina cried.

"Mawile, Fairy Wind."

Mawile spun around rapidly, summoning a tornado of pink wind. The tornado wrapped around Mega Lucario and threw it back to the ground. Mega Lucario reverted to his original form, unconscious.

"It looks like that's it." Mabel said. "Very well done, Mawile."

" _Thank you._ " Mega Mawile said as she reverted to her original form.

"You'll be okay." Korrina said, helping Lucario sit up. "Don't worry. You'll be able to control your powers in no time, remember? That's what we came here for." Korrina looked up at Mabel as she and Mawile approached her. "We promise we'll do our best. Please, help us, Mabel."

Mabel smiled. "Come, let's return to my house."

* * *

Flowers of different shapes, colors, and sizes filled Mabel's home. Some hung from the ceiling in baskets while others sat on tables in vases.

"These flowers are so pretty!" Bonnie said.

"Thanks. I picked them earlier. Since they're so beautiful, I thought I'd have Korrina and Lucario arrange something for me." Mabel said.

"I'm sorry, but I think our time would be much better spent doing some training." Korrina said.

"No need to be so hasty. Would you all like to make some flower arrangements, too?"

"Yeah! That sounds like fun!" Serena said.

"Great. If you don't mind, I'd like you to make your flower arrangements with your Pokémon."

"Let's do this, Dedenne!" Bonnie cried as she scurried over and gathered armfuls of pink and white roses.

Around me, my friends worked with their partners to make flower bouquets: Serena and Fennekin, Bonnie and Dedenne, Ash and Pikachu, Clemont and Chespin, and Korrina and Lucario.

"Would you like to make one, too, Rylee?" Mabel said.

"I appreciate the offer, but I'll just watch." I said.

"Oh, come on, Rylee. Here, I found some flowers to get you started." Clemont said. Clemont handed me two bouquets of roses, one of white and one of green. "I think it'll help you and your Pokémon work together. Strengthen your bond."

I stared at the flowers with shaking eyes. I accepted them and turned around. I set them on my table and leaned against it, controlling my shaky breaths. Clemont watched me with knitted eyebrows. Finally, I heard his footsteps trail off to his table. Zoroark and Sylveon glanced at each other.

" _Are you okay?_ " Sylveon said.

I shook my head and walked to the other side of the table. I placed the flowers in the vase. Silently, I arranged the white and green flowers to make a pattern, quietly refusing the help from my Pokémon. I stepped back and examined my finished product. The arrangement was made mostly of the white roses, and I added one green rose for every three white, creating simple splashes of color.

"Well done, everyone!" Mabel said after we all finished. "Your flower arrangements are reflections of your personalities." Mabel walked over to Ash's arrangement of tall, puffy, white flowers. "From this arrangement, I can tell that yours and Pikachu's hearts have become one. This is a very powerful piece."

"Wow, thanks." Ash said.

Mabel walked over to Korrina's and Lucario's arrangement. "Wow, you've made two arrangements in one." Mabel said, referring to the mixture of blue daffodils and purple pansies.

"It's pretty, huh?" Korrina said.

"Yes. From this arrangement, I can see that you have similar personalities and understand each other deeply."

"Yup! We've been together since we were little, so we're deeply connected. Our bond is really strong!"

I fumbled with a couple of green flowers, and they slipped out of my hands and landed on Zoroark. She shook her head and they toppled off and onto the ground. Mabel picked up the flowers and approached my arrangement. She started at it for several moments with a blank expression.

"I see. Well, I look forward to impressive arrangements tomorrow, too." Mabel said as she headed towards the door.

"But what about our training?!" Korrina said.

"No need to be so hasty. For now, I look forward to tomorrow." Mabel exited the room.

* * *

The next morning, Mabel sent us to go find more flowers. She sent Korrina and Lucario in a different direction than the rest of us, most likely for a bonding experience or for Korrina to receive revelation about her errors.

"These daisies are beautiful!" Serena said.

Bonnie collected a handful and draped them over her head. "They match my hair!"

" _Look! These flowers are black!_ " Zoroark squealed as she gathered a large bouquet of them.

" _They'll go nicely with my blue ones._ " Sylveon said, carrying a bouquet of baby blue flowers in her ribbon-like feelers.

I watched my Pokémon gather flowers with a small smile.

"Aren't you going to collect flowers?" Clemont said. "Mabel wants another flower arrangement."

"I'm going to let my Pokémon do one together. It'll be a good bonding experience for Zoroark and Sylveon." I said, my back turned to him. "I think those are enough flowers. Let's head back."

Zoroark and Sylveon pranced ahead with their flowers. I ignored Clemont's concerned stare.

* * *

"These arrangements are lovely!" Mabel gushed. "I can't wait to see what you make tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?!" Ash said as Mabel turned around and headed for the door. "We have to make _more_ tomorrow?!"

"Yes. Tomorrow and the day after."

"We've had enough of the flower arranging!" Korrina pouted.

"Don't say that. I want to see the beautiful flower arrangements that you and Lucario make when both your hearts are one. Please?"

Korrina sighed in defeat.

* * *

For the next couple of days, all we did was make more flower arrangements for Mabel to see. Each day, I noticed the time I spent speaking with Clemont grew more and more scarce. I knew Clemont was aware, too.

"If I have to arrange one more flower, I'm gonna scream!" Serena groaned as she rested her head on a desk in the room the five of us shared. "I know they're pretty, but still..."

"I like it! I'm having so much fun!" Bonnie said. Serena sighed.

"But why is Mabel having us do this flower arranging all day, every day?" Ash said.

"She must have a good reason for doing it." Clemont said. "The first time did the flower arranging, she mentioned how she wanted us to do it with our Pokémon. She was able to understand the deep meaning behind our arrangements, like when she said Ash and Pikachu's hearts were one or how Korrina and Lucario understood each other."

"It must be to bring us closer to our Pokémon." Serena said. "The flower arranging must be how Korrina and Lucario will be able to fully understand each other and master Mega Evolution."

I nodded absentmindedly as I leaned against the wall next to the large window that led to the balcony.

The window shattered. I cried out as glass sliced my arm.

"Rylee!" my friends cried.

A fast-moving silhouette flew into the room and grabbed Pikachu. I cringed at the sharp pain in my arm. I clutched it, and I gulped at the stickiness underneath my sleeve. I glanced at my arm and saw red staining my shirt.

"Are you okay?" Clemont said.

"I'm fine." I said, attempting to climb to my feet. "We need to go and help Pikachu."

"You're injured. You need to stay here and bandage that wound."

"We'll go. I have a good idea who it is." Ash said. "Serena, Bonnie, let's go."

The two girls nodded, and they left the room.

"Your sleeve is soaked." Clemont said to my sleeve, which was tainted red with blood. "I'll go get some gauze. You can ask Mabel to fix your shirt."

Clemont walked out of the room, and I took off my shirt. I straightened the black racerback tank top I wore underneath, wincing as the fresh air touched my wound. I looked at it and saw a long cut stretched across my bicep. I summoned a ball of Heal Pulse and applied it to my wound, which helped to stop the blood flow. Clemont returned with a rag and gauze. He reached into his backpack and pulled out a Potion. He spritzed the Potion onto my wound, reducing it to a faint sliver.

"Are you okay?" Clemont said, wiping the blood off my arm. "You haven't talked to me that much in the past couple of days."

"I'm fine." I said.

"I doubt that." Clemont lifted my arm up to the side and began to cover my cut with gauze. "Was it something that I said?"

I remained silent as he pinned the gauze close.

"Let's go." I said, standing up and heading to the door.

"Wait, Rylee!" Clemont said.

"But Team Rocket-"

"Team Rocket can wait!"

I clenched my fists. "I know what you meant when you talked about your bonding theory..." I said, bowing my head. "And I don't want to hear any more of it."

"Why not? I want to talk about you and Cilan."

"There _is_ no me and Cilan!" I cried, turning around and flaring my eyes. "There never will be!"

"How can you be so sure?"

"How can I be sure? He _hates_ me. I don't have to see him again to know that." I shook my head in disbelief as sadness overwhelmed my anger. "I envy your ignorance, Clemont. I miss having that. I'm sorry, but that's just wishful thinking. I abandoned that notion a long time ago. It's best if you did the same right now." I headed to the door. "The sooner you do, the sooner you can stop delaying the pain."

* * *

The next morning, Ash filled me in on what I missed last night: Korrina successfully managed to snap Lucario out of his Mega Evolved-induced sanity, and they defeated Team Rocket. It made me glad to know that they had finally achieved what they spent so long to reach.

We said goodbye to Korrina and Lucario. Now that they had master Mega Evolution, Korrina would return to the Shalour Gym and prepare for the upcoming battle between her and Ash.

"Rylee," Mabel called from her door, "may I speak to you for a moment?"

"Sure." I said, separating myself from my friends as they continued packing up their possessions.

I followed Mabel to the room where we made our flower arrangements. Countless vases brimmed with different types of flowers.

"I wanted to talk about your flower arrangement." Mabel said, leading me over to my green and white flower vase.

"Is there something wrong with it?" I said.

"I'm disturbed by its meaning- not just the arrangement's meaning, but also the process's meaning. Do you want to know what I saw of you in this flower arrangement?"

I gulped. "Sure..."

"When I witnessed your friend give you these flowers, as well as the sadness in your eyes, I perceived that you once had someone very dear to you in your life, but now they're gone. As you made the arrangement, refusing help from others as you mixed the small flecks of green into the white, I saw innocence that had become tainted. You became isolated as something changed within you, and you abandoned the person you once were." Mabel said. I stared at the flowers as my eyes shook. "When I walked in the next morning, I noticed something new in your arrangement."

"What?" my voice cracked.

Mabel walked over to the flower arrangement and turned the vase, showing me the other side. A single blue rose sat in middle of the bouquet.

"I saw hope." Mabel said.

"I... I didn't put that there." I said.

"I know. Someone else planted that seed of hope midst all the turmoil, and it bloomed into something beautiful."

My lip quivered, and a tear fell down my cheek. Mabel smiled at me.

There was a knock, and the door opened. Clemont peeked his head in. "Sorry to interrupt. Rylee, we should get going. Ash is getting anxious."

I turned and looked into Clemont's blue eyes- the same blue as the rose. I wiped my cheek and smiled.

"Okay." I said. I bowed to Mabel and walked over to Clemont. As we left the room, I threw my arm around his shoulders and pulled him into a side hug.


	26. Reflection Cave

As we walked along a stream, Serena spent a lot of time gushing about a cave she read about on her Town Map. She suggested we check it out. We walked up to the cave entrance. Crystals were scattered in patches near the entrance, as well as slabs of it on the ground, replacing the grass.

"This is the cave?" Bonnie said.

"Yup!" Serena said.

"Is there something out of the ordinary inside?" Clemont panted.

"I'm not telling! You'll have to see for yourself. Come on!"

Bonnie, Serena, and I entered the cave with Ash and Clemont sighing in defeat as they lagged behind. Shards of white crystals jutted out from the walls, ceiling, and floor, differing in shape and size.

"They call this place Reflection Cave." Serena said as we gawked at the crystals. She and Bonnie walked over to one of the crystals, which was so clear you could see a perfect reflection of yourself in it.

"Wow!" Bonnie cried, placing her hand on the crystal. Her reflection mimicked her. "These crystals are like big mirrors!"

"Incredible! These aren't run of the mill crystals!" Clemont said, adjusting his glasses as he studied his reflection. "Their highly-reflective surfaces do act just like a mirror."

"They're the perfect way to make certain that you're looking your very best." Serena said.

"Hey, it keeps going!" Ash said, staring down another pathway. He ran down it, and we chased after him.

"Be careful, Ash. We don't want you to get lost." I called as I trailed the closest behind him.

"I know, I know." Ash called over his shoulders. We stopped at a dead end.

"Maybe we should've made that turn back there." Serena said. "This place is like a maze!"

"Let's go back." Ash ran ahead of us back down the pathway and turned at the corner. He scurried up a small cliff and disappeared down the path.

"Wait up!" I called. I scurried up the cliff and chased Ash down the path. "Ash, slow down!"

We arrived at another dead end.

"Ash! Rylee!" Serena's voice called. I glanced behind me, but the others weren't there.

"We lost the others. Let's go find them."

Ash nodded, and we jogged down the path. We stopped at a fork in the road.

"Serena! Clemont! Bonnie!" Ash cried, cupping his hands over his mouth.

"Where did you guys go?" Bonnie said.

"Don't move! We'll come and find you!" Clemont said.

"Okay!" I replied. Their voices bounced off the walls, and it seemed like they came from everywhere. It was difficult to pinpoint which path it came from.

I turned to Ash as he walked up to a reflective crystal. The crystal rippled with light and opened like a portal, revealing another Ash. His appearance was shaded slightly lighter than the real one. He reached out, his hand passing through the mirror, and he grabbed Pikachu.

"Hey!" Ash cried. "Get back here!"

Mirror Ash ran down a cave pathway, and Ash jumped through the portal.

"Ash!" I cried. The portal began to close. I lunged through the portal, landing in a somersault.

"Rylee!" I looked behind me as Serena, Bonnie, and Clemont ran towards the portal.

"Guys!" I jumped to my feet and ran over to the portal. Serena reached a hand out to me, but by the time I got to the crystal, the portal had closed. My hands planted against the cold, smooth crystal.

I turned around and looked around while I caught my breath. The cave still looked the same. There was a large opening that led to the outside. Seeing that neither of the Ashes were still here, I guessed that's where they went. I jogged outside. Light poured into my eyes, and I squinted to adjust. I opened my eyes and saw Ash standing in front of me.

"Ash?" I said. My eyes were distracted by the lime green sky.

"Pikachu!" Ash ran down the dirt path. I hurried and ran alongside him.

"Hey, Ash!" We stopped and turned to see Serena with a scowl on her face and her hands planted on her hips. She had the same, lighter shaded appearance as the other Ash. She approached us, her blue eyes set on Ash. "Well, well! Where have you been? Just because I called you a crybaby doesn't mean you should run off! When will you learn to get a grip?"

"Crybaby?" Ash stepped back.

"Look, it's Ash and Rylee!" Mirror Bonnie said as she hurried over to us. "Brother dear, I've located them!"

"Brother dear?" I said. _There's no way Bonnie would ever refer to Clemont like that._

Mirror Clemont ran at lightning speeds, passing by us and creating clouds of dust in his wake. He skidded to a stop. "Whoops!" He sprinted back over to us. There wasn't even a drop of sweat on his face. "Ash! Rylee! We've been searching all over for you!"

"What is going on?" Ash said. "Since when did you learn to run that fast?"

"Ha! I've always been the fastest runner!"

"Never mind that! So, where's that Pikachu of yours?" Mirror Serena said.

"It was taken by... uh, by me!" Ash said.

Mirror Serena laughed. "What are you talking about?"

"Maybe you dreamt it up, perchance?" Mirror Bonnie said.

"He's not making this up." I said.

Our mirror friends glared at us skeptically. Mirror Serena stepped forward and examined Ash. "Well... You do look different from the crybaby Ash I know." Mirror Serena studied me. "And you're not as perky as the Rylee I know. That's a relief. Any more of it, and I may throw up."

"Perky?" I raised an eyebrow.

"That means... the culprit is _our_ crybaby Ash!" Mirror Bonnie said.

"Come to think of it, there's a famous legend about the cave that lies right up ahead!" Mirror Clemont said, brimming with so much confidence that it made my eyes hurt. "It states that for every crystal mirror in the cave, there exists a distant, alternate world!"

"That must be what we stumbled in." I said.

"There's also another important point... but I can't remember it."

"Sounds stupid!" Mirror Serena said.

"Regardless, the Ash and Rylee standing in front of us are not the ones we know!"

"And you guys aren't the Serena, Bonnie, and Clemont that _we_ know." Ash said.

"In fact, they're the exact opposite as you guys." I said.

"Hold on! I'm the only me, and anyone who isn't me is not me!" Mirror Serena snapped. She growled and held her head in her hands. "What in the world did I just say?!" She stepped into Ash's face. "Whatever! Here's the deal! If you can beat me in a battle, then I'll have to believe you!"

Ash smiled. "You're on!"

"Ha! I like the kind of Ash who would agree to take on a challenge from Serena!" Mirror Bonnie said.

* * *

We found a spacious place for the battle. Mirror Bonnie and I sat on the sidelines while Mirror Clemont refereed. Ash and Mirror Serena stood on opposite sides of each other.

"Prepare yourselves for a one-on-one Pokémon battle!" Mirror Clemont cried. "And... begin!"

Mirror Serena called out Fennekin and Ash called out Froakie.

"Fennekin, use Flamethrower!"

"Froakie, Water Pulse!"

The Water Pulse hit the Flamethrower, evaporating it immediately.

"Use Scratch!"

"Double Team!"

Mirror Serena sweatdropped as Froakie multiplied. Fennekin attacked the fake Froakies, making them disappear.

"Now, use Bubble!"

The real Froakie attacked Fennekin. Fennekin fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Fennekin is unable to battle, so the winner is Ash!" Mirror Clemont declared.

Ash returned Froakie back to its PokéBall and walked over to Mirror Serena. "Now do you believe us?"

Mirror Serena pouted and planted her hands on her hips. "I would _never_ lose to the Ash I know, so I have to. I guess you're Ash from another world."

"What about me?" I said, walking to Ash's side.

"I didn't need any more proof. The fact that I saw you not smiling for the first time ever was good enough. Surprising, too." Mirror Serena said.

"If you're not the Rylee and Ash we know, then where are they?" Mirror Clemont said.

" _I'm_ over here." a timid voice called. Mirror Ash stepped out from behind the trees, his eyes to the ground and Pikachu in his arms. He walked over to us. Pikachu wriggled out of Mirror Ash's arms and jumped into Ash's.

"Well, there's the other Ash..." I said. "So where's-"

"Gotcha!" A pair of hands clamped down on my waist. I yelped and jumped away. I turned around and gasped when I saw Mirror Rylee standing next to Ash. She cupped her mouth in her hand and giggled. "Did I scare ya?"

"Uh..." I sweatdropped. "I guess."

"What happened to you guys?" Mirror Clemont said.

"Well, after Serena beat Ash for the thousandth time- no surprise- the poor boy started crying. He yelled, 'I'm gonna travel alone!' and took off." Mirror Rylee said, walking over to Mirror Ash and slapping her hands on his shoulders. Mirror Ash winced. "I followed after him into a cave, but I lost him. You must've been so scared!"

"I lost Pikachu, too." Mirror Ash said. "When I stumbled upon a mirror, that's where I found it! I grabbed it and got out as fast as I could, but it was then that I found out it wasn't my Pikachu. I'm really, really sorry."

"No problem. I've got my Pikachu back, and that's all that matters!" Ash said.

"Strange things happen, I suppose." Mirror Serena said.

"If you don't mind, I want to know a little bit about your Pikachu."

"To tell the truth, my Pikachu's tough. Wildly aggressive." Mirror Ash said with a small smile.

"Where is it?" I said.

Mirror Ash's smile fell. "I don't know." Tears filled his eyes.

"Don't worry, Ash!" Mirror Rylee said with a face-cracking grin. "We'll get it back. It'll be easy!"

"Yeah! We'll help you find it!" Ash said.

"Really?" Mirror Ash said. "Thank you, Ash!"

The two Ashes shook hands.

"All these Ashes and Rylees are scrambling my brain." Mirror Serena said.

"But how are we going to conduct the search for Pikachu?" Mirror Bonnie said.

Mirror Clemont chuckled. "Leave that to me!"

* * *

~TPPOV~

"Rylee and Ash haven't come back yet." Clemont said.

"And that portal closed right behind them. How else are we going to find them?" Serena said.

"It looks like it's up to me. The future is now, thanks to science!" Clemont said, pushing his glasses up his nose. He reached into his backpack and pulled out a Magnemite-styled machine. "Clemontic Gear, on! See, I thought we would encounter a situation precisely like this one!"

"You knew our friends would stumble upon an alternate dimension and get sucked into it?" Bonnie said, her eyes half-closed in disbelief.

Clemont cleared his throat. "Anyways... I call it 'The Other Dimension Converter'! This device makes high-voltage, electromagnetic waves collide, which warps space and time, creating a portal to another dimension! Power on!"

Clemont pulled a switch, and it immediately sputtered and malfunctioned. He cringed and covered his face as his invention exploded.

* * *

~RYLEE~

Mirror Clemont finished sketching a lightning bolt inside a circle into the dirt with a long stick.

"I thought we would encounter a situation like this, so I prepared this magic spell! I call it, my 'Magical Direction Finder'!" Mirror Clemont cried. Ash and I sweatdropped as Mirror Clemont walked into the center of the dirt drawing. "By dropping this staff in the center of this circle, it will then allow us to determine which direction to search in! Now! Clemont-cadabra!"

Mirror Clemont dug the staff into the dirt and let go of it. It fell to the ground.

"There! Ash's Pikachu is that way!"

"Excellent, brother dear!" Mirror Bonnie gushed.

"Huh... No explosions." Ash said.

"I prefer that over this mumbo-jumbo." I sweatdropped.

* * *

~TPPOV~

"Nooo!" Bonnie cried. "I can't believe you blew it again! _Literally_!"

"I'm sorry..." Clemont whimpered as he tried to fix his frizzy hair.

"Now what do we do?" Serena said as her eyes shook with tears. "Have our friends disappeared forever?"

"We'll figure this out." Clemont said. "I know Rylee and Ash are furiously trying to get back to our dimension! We'll just have to be patience."

Serena sighed and nodded.

* * *

~RYLEE~

"Now where in the world is that Pikachu?" Mirror Serena hissed.

"Wish I knew." Mirror Clemont said, his arms crossed as he walked.

"Even brother dear makes mistakes!" Mirror Bonnie giggled.

As our friends walked ahead, Mirror Rylee and I walked alongside each other. Her permanent smile boggled me.

"So... Rylee..." I said, holding my hands in front of me. "How's your mission going so far?"

"Mission?" Mirror Rylee said. She giggled. "What mission?"

I raised my eyebrow. "Your mission as a Pokémon Knight? What you're doing right now? You know, traveling alongside Ash while keeping an eye out for Team Flare?"

Mirror Rylee giggled again. "I'm not a Pokémon Knight. I _wish_ I was one."

"Wha...? But didn't you go home after your Unova journey to train?"

Mirror Rylee stared at me, perplexed, and shook her head. "What are you talking about? After my Unova journey ended, I went with Cilan to the Johto region."

My stomach somersaulted. "You did?"

Mirror Rylee nodded with a dreamy smile. She stopped walking. "It was so romantic! We kissed at the Vermillion City train station, and I was hooked! Just a few days ago, he gave me this." Rylee gently pulled on a silver chain under her shirt. She pulled out a small, golden heart locket with an emerald in the center. "Isn't it beautiful?"

As I stared at the locket, I noticed something else that made my heart plummet to my feet.

"Is that... a ring?" I said, referring to the diamond accessory on the ring finger of Mirror Rylee's left hand.

Mirror Rylee glanced at the ring and smiled. "Yes! After Cilan gave me the locket, he turned right back around and proposed!" Mirror Rylee shoved the ring into my face. I gulped and stepped back. Oblivious to my reaction, Mirror Rylee lowered her hand back to her side and smiled. "He's waiting back at the Pokémon Center. But enough about me. How's your Cilan?"

The air in my lungs stopped flowing. I turned my back to Mirror Rylee.

"Let's catch up with the others." I said, quickly walking away from the conversation. Mirror Rylee jogged to keep up with me.

We caught up with the others at the edge of a cliff that overlooked the thick forest below.

"Now what am I going to do? I can't stand the thought of never seeing Pikachu again." Mirror Ash said, tears brimming in his eyes. He sobbed. "I'll... I'll... I'll never be the same!"

"Just perfect. Here we go." Mirror Serena murmured.

"Come on, Ash, don't cry." Ash said. "You want to find Pikachu, don't you?" Mirror Ash nodded. "Don't give up, then."

While Mirror Ash wiped his eyes, a claw snatched Pikachu off Ash's shoulder and encased him in a glass container.

"Perfect aim!" James cried.

"Why did they take Pikachu?" Mirror Serena said.

"Because... Team Rocket is a bunch of villains?" I said. "At least, they try to be."

"Huh? Our Team Rocket calls themselves the 'Heroes of Justice'. They're the ones that stop the villains."

"I'd love to hear _that_ motto."

"Ash... That's my Pikachu." Mirror Ash said, looking to the second Pikachu struggling beside the first one in a separate container.

"So, you're a bad Team Rocket?!" Mirror Bonnie said.

"Give us back our Pikachu!" Ash cried.

"Sure! Soon as you grow up!" Meowth said.

Jessie and James called out Pumpkaboo and Inkay. Both Ashes called out Hawlucha. Ash's spread his wings out proudly while Mirror Ash's hid his face.

"Hawlucha, use Karate Chop on Inkay!"

"Use Karate Chop on Pumpkaboo!"

Ash's Hawlucha lunged at Inkay and slapped his wings into Inkay, knocking it back against a rock wall. Mirror Ash's Hawlucha shyly trotted over to Pumpkaboo. Pumpkaboo moved out of the way.

"Hawlucha, look out!" Ash called. Pumpkaboo bodyslammed Mirror Ash's Hawlucha and knocked it to the ground.

"Inkay, use Psybeam!"

As Inkay collected psychic energy at the top of his head, I sprinted over and stepped in front of Mirror Ash's Hawlucha. I swiped my hand in front of me, creating a shield of Protect that blocked the Psybeam.

"Why'd you do that?" Mirror Rylee said.

"Why did I-?!" I said in disbelief. I turned around. "Because I'm a Pokémon Guardian! You are, too! What happened to protecting people and Pokémon?"

"I... I haven't needed to worry about that since my Unova journey..."

"How dare you be so selfish! It's like you don't even care anymore!"

Mirror Rylee's smile faded. "O-Of course I do..."

"Pumpkaboo, use Double Shadow Ball!"

The first of Pumpkaboo's dark energy hit Mirror Ash's Hawlucha and sent him crashing into Mirror Ash. Mirror Ash returned his Hawlucha and started to cry. The second Shadow Ball hit my back. I cried out and fell to the ground.

"Inkay, use Psybeam!"

"Pumpkaboo, Shadow Ball!"

I looked up as Team Rocket's Pokémon floated over me and built up their moves. I braced myself as they fired the attacks.

Footsteps sprinted over to me, and a shield of Protect covered us. Mirror Rylee stood in front of me. She dispelled the Protect and turned to me, her purple eyes flaring.

"What kind of Guardian would that make me if I didn't protect those in need?" Mirror Rylee smiled. She reached a hand out to me and helped me up.

Mirror Clemont crept behind Team Rocket and grabbed the two Pikachu. Meowth turned around.

"Hey!" he cried. "Look, twerp, what're you doin'?!"

Mirror Clemont slammed his foot into Meowth's face and scurried towards us.

"That's my big brother!" Bonnie beamed.

"Whoa..." I said. "My Clemont's not brave enough to do that."

Mirror Rylee chuckled. "That's why I'm glad to be traveling with him. I've got a lot to learn from a boy like him."

Mirror Clemont threw the two Pikachu into the air. Mirror Serena called out her Fennekin, and she freed the Pikachu.

"Your turn, Ash!" I called as Mirror Rylee and I jumped out of the way.

"Ready, Ash?" Ash said to Mirror Ash. Mirror Ash nodded.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" the two Ashes cried.

Both Pikachu used their moves on Team Rocket and blasted them into the sky.

"That was amazing, Ash." Mirror Serena said.

"I was completely impressed!" Mirror Bonnie said.

"I hope you'll consider continuing our journey together. Will you?" Mirror Clemont said.

Mirror Ash nodded with a smile. He turned to me and Ash. "Thank you both. You really saved the day."

"We're glad we could help!" Ash said.

"Let's depart to the Pokémon Center! Cilan's waiting for us!" Mirror Bonnie said.

"Cilan?" Ash said, his eyes widening. "He's here?"

"Not the one we know." I said, quickly and dryly. I turned to the sunset.

"It'll be dark soon..." Mirror Clemont said. He gasped. "I just remembered! According to the legend, people who come from another world can't go back once the sun sets!"

Ash and I gasped. "We'd better get back, fast!" Ash cried.

* * *

"Here!" Mirror Ash said, stopping us at the reflective crystal where the portal opened. "This is where the portal was."

"Let me see..." Mirror Clemont said. "I'd say the instability of the mirror is functioning as something of a gate between this world and the other one!"

"But how do we get this mirror to do it again?" Mirror Bonnie said.

"When the mirror opened, it was because I wanted to find Pikachu. When I started wishing for that, the portal opened." Mirror Ash said.

"That might have something to do with it!" Mirror Clemont said. "It might be how we'll get the portal to open."

"You really want to return to your world, don't you?" Mirror Ash said to us.

"Of course." I said. "Our friends are waiting for us there."

"Focus on that thought. If your thoughts are powerful enough, our two worlds might reconnect!" Mirror Clemont said.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror. I clasped my hands together in front of my chest, closed my eyes, and bowed my head.

* * *

~TPPOV~

"Are we ever gonna see Ash and Rylee again?" Bonnie said.

"Of course we will, Bonnie. Don't even ask that!" Clemont said.

"We've gotta hold on to hope." Serena said.

Clemont gripped his backpack straps and stared at his reflection. "Rylee will come back... She's got to..."

* * *

~RYLEE~

My mind grew sore from wishing continuously. I heard something shimmering, and when I opened my eyes, I saw the portal opening. There was a void of glittering, purple energy, and on the other side was Clemont, Bonnie, and Serena.

"Ash!" Serena said.

"Rylee!" Clemont said.

"There's two of them?" Bonnie said. "Two of us?!"

"There's no time! Our worlds are moving apart!" Mirror Ash said as the two doorways slowly drifted apart.

"The sun is starting to set." Mirror Clemont said.

"The two worlds are connected by our hopes and dreams."

"Get with it, Serena! Think about how much you want to continue journeying with Ash and Rylee!" Mirror Serena said.

"You, too, Clemont and Bonnie!" Mirror Clemont said.

"Concentrate your thoughts!" Mirror Bonnie said.

The doorways drew closer. I reached out my hand towards my friends.

"Just... a little more..." I said. The doorways separated, drifting apart faster than before. My friends' fingers slipped out from my grasp. "No!"

"Hang on, Pikachu!" Ash said, moving Pikachu from his shoulder to his arms. He stepped back to get a running start. He leaped across the void and landed on the other side. "Rylee, hurry!"

I gulped as the gap grew wider. I took a few steps back. Taking a deep breath, I sprinted towards the doorway. At the very edge, I pushed off my feet and lunged across the void. My hands slapped against the edge of the other side. I dangled in the purple void. My hands slid off the edge.

A hand grabbed mine. Clemont knelt over the edge, his torso hanging into the void. "I got you, Rylee! I won't let you fall!"

"Me neither!" Ash knelt next to Clemont and grabbed my other hand. I gazed up at them with awe. They hoisted me back into the cave. "You okay?"

I nodded and turned back towards the void.

"Hey, Rylee," Mirror Rylee pushed her way to the front of her group of friends, "you never answered my question."

My face fell, and I shook my head. "I'm sorry, Rylee, but I didn't have the same happily ever after as you..." I bowed my head. "I had to say goodbye... to my Cilan."

A pang of emotions struck my heart from saying it out loud: _my_ Cilan. How I wished I could say that with sincerity.

"I'm sorry..." Mirror Rylee said. "Now I feel bad about telling you all my stuff."

I looked up and smiled sadly. "Don't be. You still have a chance." Tears filled my eyes and spilled down my cheeks. "Go. Be happy for me."

Mirror Rylee's eyes shook with tears. She reached up and clutched her heart locket. She smiled. "Thank you, Rylee. You helped me remember my purpose in life. I hope you find yours, too."

The portal closed, and I stared at my tear-stained reflection. I reached up and gripped my locket. A tear dribbled down my chin and hit my fist.

I watched Clemont's reflection as he walked over to my side and rested a hand against my shoulder. We looked at each other, and he smiled.

"I'm glad you're back." Clemont said.

"Me, too." I said. "What would I do without my science geek?"

Clemont blushed. "H-Hey! I'm not a geek! I'm just passionate about it!"

I wiped my cheeks and laughed. This was definitely my Clemont.

And I had a lot to learn from him.


	27. Kicking off the Summer

The others and I made our way down the shady forest path. The trees separated, revealing a large camp at the bottom of the hill, bathed by the sun with the beach as its shore. Professor Sycamore announced his annual Pokémon summer camp, and he invited us to attend. My friends, stoked as ever, agreed. We headed down the hill and to the front entrance. We paused to look at the ocean view.

"It's so pretty!" Bonnie gushed. She gulped in a deep breath of salty air.

Something white in my peripheral caught my eye, and I turned and saw Professor Sycamore waving a small flag. Alyssa stood next to him. They both were stripped of their lab coats and work attire. Alyssa wore her hair in a loose side braid, and she wore a blue, haltered summer dress, a white cardigan over it, and white sandals. Professor Sycamore wore a dark blue fishing hat, an orange button-up shirt, a cyan, lightweight jacket, white pants, and black loafers.

Ash told Professor Sycamore our experience of traveling with Korrina and Lucario. He told him about it being able to Mega Evolve.

"Wow! Incredible!" Sycamore said, throwing his hands into the air. "That must've been an exciting adventure! I wish I could've seen it, too."

"Trust me, you wouldn't want to..." I said, sweatdropping as I remembered the multiple times Mega Lucario went nuts after Mega Evolving.

"So, do you plan on battling against Korrina at the Shalour City Gym?"

"You bet!" Ash said. "I'm psyched to battle against Mega Lucario. The stronger the opponent, the more fired up I get! I'm gonna win that gym badge for sure!"

"Well, I hope your stay here will be useful and marvelous."

"Thanks!"

* * *

Alyssa led us to the cabins. "Here's where you'll be staying." she said. She pointed to a sign hanging on the porch with a Froakie painted on it. "Every cabin is divided into teams. You guys are Team Froakie."

"Thanks, Alyssa." I said.

Alyssa smiled. "I hope you have a great time here. It's nice to get away from all the craziness, right?"

"Well, knowing Ash, he probably brought it with him."

Alyssa left to meet up with Professor Sycamore. The rest of us entered our cabin.

"Wow!" Ash said, setting his backpack down. "Check out all this space!"

Bonnie scurried up to the top bed of one of the bunk beds. "I call this one!"

There were three sets of bunk beds, one for each of my friends and me and one for our Pokémon to use. Serena walked over to the window and opened it, letting the ocean breeze sweep in.

"Hey, Ash and Serena, does this bring back childhood memories from when you two went to camp?" I said.

Serena leaned back into the room. "How did you know about that?"

I paused as a nervous blush filled my cheeks. "Uh, well..."

"She probably tapped into your memories sometime while we were traveling together." Ash said.

"What?! You can do that?!" Serena cried, her face turning bright red. "What else did you see?!"

"Just the memory of when you and Ash met." I said. I smiled deviously and wiggled my fingers in front of her face. "What, is there something you don't want me to see?"

Serena pouted and crossed her arms. "No! Search my mind all you want!"

"Battle begin!" a voice called from outside the window. We looked out and saw a battle taking place in the sand: a Squirtle against a Conkeldurr.

"A Squirtle! Wow!" Ash cried. He hurried to the door and threw it open. "I gotta check this out!"

We hurried onto the shore and stood on the sidelines.

"Conkeldurr, Superpower!" Conkeldurr's trainer, a boy with brown hair and brown eyes, cried. Conkeldurr's contour glowed blue, and it lunged at Squirtle.

"Quick, Squirtle, dodge by getting in close!" Squirtle's trainer, a boy with black hair and black eyes, said. He wore a black t-shirt with a blue Vanillite on it, orange shorts, and yellow and black sneakers. A yellow, one-shouldered backpack sat on his back, the strap draped across his chest.

Squirtle ran towards Conkeldurr. Conkeldurr swung one of its pieces of concrete, and Squirtle jumped on top of it. He leaped into the air, performed a few front flips, and landed behind Conkeldurr. Conkeldurr swung the other piece of concrete, but Squirtle jumped up, landed on Conkeldurr's back, and jumped off it, landing behind it.

"Hey, stop moving!" Conkeldurr's trainer cried.

"It's what we do! We just can't stand still, see?" Squirtle's trainer said as he and Squirtle danced. Conkeldurr continued to flail while Squirtle danced out of the way.

"Now, Skull Bash!"

Squirtle lunged at Conkeldurr. As Conkeldurr turned around, Squirtle slammed his head into his chest. Conkeldurr went flying. He landed on the ground, creating a giant geyser of sand that shot up in the air. The geyser ceased, and Conkeldurr laid on the ground, unconscious.

"Conkeldurr didn't even land a hit against Squirtle." Ash said. "It sure is good at dodging."

"Boy, oh boy. Your battle strategies are a first for me." Conkeldurr's trainer said.

"We just love to dance! We keep on movin' and groovin'!" Squirtle's trainer said. He lifted Squirtle onto his shoulder.

"Hey!" Ash called as he jogged over to the boy. We followed him. "Can I have a battle with you?"

"Sure thing! I'm Tierno, and I'm from Santalune City. Squirtle here's my partner. We're from Team Squirtle."

"That sure is fitting. All of us are from Team Froakie." Ash said. "My name's Ash, and I'm from Pallet Town. Pikachu's my partner."

" _Hiya!_ " Pikachu said while sitting on Ash's head.

"Pallet Town?" Tierno said.

Ash nodded. "I'm from the Kanto region. I came here so I could enter the Kalos League."

"Some haul. All the way from Kanto, huh?" Tierno's eyes fell on me and Serena. "Hold on... I know you!"

"You... do?" Serena said.

"Yeah! Stay here!" Tierno turned around and sprinted towards a group of people. He grabbed one of them, a girl, and dragged her over to us. "Check it out! They look the same!"

The girl had long, brown hair in pigtails and green eyes. She wore a pink shirt with black bows, jean shorts with black fringe hanging out the ends, and pink sandals. "Wow! You're Serena and Rylee, right?" she said.

"Um... yes." I said. "How do you know us?"

"I saw you guys on PokéVision!"

I remembered back when we made those videos. Clemont cried out.

"Oh, no! That means people are watching _my_ video, too?!" he groaned.

"Of course they are! Come on, that's the whole point, silly!" Bonnie said, giggling at her brother's embarrassment.

"It's so great to meet you guys! My name is Shauna!" the girl said. "Serena, you and your Fennekin are _so_ cute in your video that I've been a friend ever since! And Rylee, when I saw your video on PokéVision Live, I was absolutely amazed at what you could do! Your Zorua is so much cooler in person!"

"Zorua is actually a Zoroark. It stays like this because it likes to sit on my shoulder. I do all the walking for her." I said while Zoroark beamed with pride. "My video was on PokéVision Live?"

"You mean _is_ on PokéVision Live! Ever since it got uploaded, hundreds of thousands of people have been watching it! It's been at Number 1 for the longest time! You even did better than Aria, the Kalos Queen! That's _huge_!" Shauna said. "Have you guys seen your videos yet?"

Serena and I shook our heads. "Not since we first uploaded them."

"Come on, we can watch them together!" Shauna grabbed mine and Serena's hands and dragged us towards the Pokémon Center.

* * *

"Whenever I visit the Pokémon Center, I always check if something's new on PokéVision." Shauna said as we gathered around a computer. "Here's your video, Serena. Look how many views it's gotten!" She tapped on Serena's video. It flashed with the number of views it had: 44061.

"That's great! I had no idea they were watching." Serena said.

"Can I meet your Fennekin, _please_?" Shauna said.

"Sure, no problem." Serena called out Fennekin.

"So cute! _Too_ cute!" Shauna dropped to her knees to get closer to Fennekin. She looked up at Serena with shimmering eyes. "Your Fennekin's even cuter in person!"

"Thank you, Shauna! Do you make PokéVision videos, too?"

"I sure do! I have a whole bunch of them!" Shauna returned to the computer and pulled up her profile, which had a big collection of videos. "I always make a new video whenever I catch a Pokémon, as well as whenever I manage to get my hands on a pretty new Ribbon!"

Shauna clicked on a video featuring her and her Bulbasaur.

"I can't believe your PokéVision video is at Number 1." Clemont said, clearly establishing that he wasn't paying attention to Shauna's video.

"It's not every day that people see someone with Pokémon abilities." I said.

"I wonder how many people have seen it..."

I glanced at him. "Why do you care so much?"

"No reason..."

The video ended, and Shauna called out her Bulbasaur. Squirtle hopped down from Tierno's shoulder and next to Bulbasaur, but it turned its head away. Pikachu and Fennekin greeted Bulbasaur. With a smirk, Bulbasaur looked away with a "hmph".

"Looks like your Bulbasaur is a little snooty." Clemont said. Chespin's PokéBall opened on its own, and Ash called out Froakie.

"How cute." Serena said. She reached into her backpack and pulled out a small, woven basket. She knelt and opened it, revealing a batch of Poké Puffs. "I made these for you guys. I hope you like them."

She handed one to Squirtle. Squirtle happily gobbled it up. The other Pokémon ate joyfully.

" _If I could live off these forever, I wouldn't mind._ " Zoroark said as she lapped up the crumbs of her Poké Puff.

" _Me, too!_ " Sylveon said.

"Whoa! Did your Pokémon just talk?!" Shauna said, turning to me.

I nodded. "Zoroark can use Telepathy to broadcast her voice to others."

"Does Sylveon have that, too?"

"Nope." I ignored Shauna's confused gaze.

"Here, Bulbasaur." Serena said, offering a Poké Puff to Bulbasaur. It turned its head away.

"My Bulbasaur is really shy. It only accepts food if I'm the one that offers it." Shauna said. Serena handed her the Poké Puff, and she knelt next to Bulbasaur and petted its head. She fed the Poké Puff to it. The corners of its mouth curled up slightly for a brief second. "Bulbasaur really likes your Poké Puffs. Unfortunately, that's the most emotion you'll ever see."

"I'm glad you liked it."

A Charmander hopped up from the staircase and landed in the middle of the Pokémon.

"Wow, Charmander!" Ash gushed. Charmander punched the air. "It sure is energetic."

"All three of the Kanto starter Pokémon are here." Clemont said. "Where's Charmander's trainer?"

"Over there." Shauna said, pointing to the young boy trudging up the stairs. He had red hair and gray eyes. He wore a button-up, short-sleeved shirt, a gray sweater vest over it, gray cargo pants, and green shoes. He had a green backpack on and a camera hanging around his neck.

"Hey, Trevor!" Tierno said as he and Shauna jogged over to him.

"You're late again." Shauna scolded playfully.

"Sorry. Charmander was at it again on our way here." Trevor said.

"Again?"

"What do you mean?" Bonnie said.

"Well, you see..."

Charmander ran over to Fennekin and Pikachu, his mouth filled with flames. They both fell back as Charmander snapped his jaw shut, scattering embers in the air. Some of the embers fell on Chespin, and the thorns on his head caught on fire. Squirtle used Water Gun on him to put out the flames.

"Charmander's always ready to battle." Shauna said.

"I'm so sorry for Charmander's actions!" Trevor said, repeatedly bowing to us.

"It doesn't matter where it is; Charmander's always so full of energy. It got into a fight on the way here, right?"

"Right..."

"This is Trevor. He, Tierno, and I have been friends since we were little."

Trevor stood up straight. "I'm really sorry about all this..." Trevor looked at Serena and gasped. "It can't be! You're Serena! Shauna kept saying how there's this pretty girl on a video. She must've shown it to me a million times!"

Serena blushed. "Oh..." She covered her face with her hair. "I'm a little embarrassed."

"You're just so cute!" Tierno cried as his eyes were replaced with big, pink hearts.

"Don't mind him. He's a bit of a goofball." Shauna said.

Trevor looked behind Tierno and saw Pikachu. "Wow, a Pikachu!" Trevor knelt in front of Pikachu, grabbed his camera, and snapped a few photos of him.

"Uh...?" Ash said.

Trevor turned around and waved his camera. "I like to take pictures of Pokémon I've met." He showed us a series of pictures he took. "My dream is to meet every Pokémon listed in the Pokédex, and someday discover a new Pokémon that hasn't even been listed yet."

"That sounds great!"

"Trevor, this is Ash. He's from Kanto." Tierno said.

"Then that means you've come across a bunch of Pokémon from Kanto that I haven't ever seen before! I'm so jealous!"

"These are his friends: Serena, Bonnie, Clemont, and Rylee."

Trevor's eyes fell on me, and his mouth fell open.

"Um... Is something the matter?" I said. "Did you break him?"

"Oh... my... GOSH!" Trevor squealed. "You're Rylee! _The_ Rylee! I saw your PokéVision video! Shauna showed it to me once, and I've watched it a _billion_ times!" He lifted his camera to my face and snapped a picture. "Wow, you're so famous! No wonder; you and your powers are absolutely gorgeous!"

I blushed. "Thank you, Trevor. I'm speechless by your kind words."

I watched a shiver run down Trevor's spine. "No problem! Any time!" he gushed. "Gosh, I'm your biggest fan! Can I get a picture with you? A-a-and will you sign it?"

I giggled. "Sure."

The same hearts Tierno had were now in Trevor's eyes. "You're just as super cool and nice as your video said you were!"

"Okay, enough of this fangirling." Bonnie sweatdropped.

"So, are you all staying for camp?" Shauna said.

"Yup! The five of us are traveling together." Serena said.

"Big group. Must be a lot of fun." Tierno said.

"You guys don't travel together?" Ash said.

"The three of us got our Pokémon from Professor Sycamore on the same day, but went our separate ways to pursue our dreams."

"But, every now and then, we like to get together and catch up on what everyone's up to." Shauna said.

"So, why are you on a journey, Ash?" Trevor said.

"That's easy. I began traveling so I could become a Pokémon Master." Ash said.

The room chimed as the intercom turned off. "It's time to gather at the beach for introductions, as the Pokémon summer camp gets underway!" Nurse Joy's voice sang.

"Come on! Let's hurry!" Shauna said.

We hurried down the stairs. I stopped at the top of the staircase and looked back at Serena, who remained in her spot.

"Are you okay, Serena?" I said.

Serena looked up, snapping out of a reverie, and smiled. "Yes, I'm fine."

* * *

"Welcome, trainers! Thank you all for being here!" Professor Sycamore called from the stage. "And why are you all here? You're here to build an even deeper bond with your Pokémon through your interactions with other trainers. Starting today, and throughout the week, I hope you'll have lots of summer camp fun! And now, presenting Nurse Joy! She's opened a Pokémon Center just for us!"

Nurse Joy and Wigglytuff stepped forward. "I'm happy to care for your Pokémon any time you need me." she said.

"And here's our food service manager, who takes good care of us every year: Madame Catherine!"

A woman with orange-brown hair in two poofy pigtails and blue eyes stepped forward. She wore a yellow shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a pink elbow, and a red scarf tied around her neck.

"My job is to make certain you have the most delicious meals all week long!" Catherine said. "Of course, I have three excellent chefs to help me. The best!"

The three chefs- two men and one woman- behind her beamed with pride. One of them was two-feet tall. "Hi-ho, campers!"

"Uh..." Clemont said, leaning closer to me. "Is that...?"

I sighed and shrugged. "I'm on vacation. I'm not going to worry about them."

"All right! At our camp, we have a system where each team earns points depending on how they did at each day's activities." Professor Sycamore said.

"Okay, Team Froakie, let's go!" Bonnie cried, pumping her fist into the air.

"First place gets ten points, second gets seven, third gets three, and all other teams get no points. The goal is to help each other out while competing."

"The team that has earned the most points by the last day will have the honor of being inducted into the Pokémon summer camp Hall of Fame." Alyssa said.

"Also, please note that current champion, Diantha, was inducted into this summer camp Hall of Fame back when she was your age!" Catherine said.

"So, if we make it to the Hall of Fame, we'll be famous just like Diantha!" Serena said.

"Now, on our first day, we'd like to get everyone acquainted by starting off with a Pokémon battle. It's an annual tradition where no points are awarded, so feel free to challenge any trainer you'd like." Professor Sycamore said.

"Tierno, what'd you say we battle?" Ash said.

"You're on!" Tierno said.

"Serena, how about we battle?" Shauna said.

"Okay!" Serena said.

"Rylee!" Trevor latched onto my arm. "It would be an honor if I could battle against you!"

I chuckled. "Of course. I'd love to."

* * *

Trainers were strewn across the shore, and they called out the Pokémon they would battle with.

"Charmander, let's really focus!" Trevor said. Charmander cried in agreement. "What Pokémon are you going to use, Rylee?"

I tapped my finger against my chin. "Sylveon, I'd like to battle with you."

Sylveon smiled and leaped onto the imaginary battlefield.

"But doesn't Sylveon have a type disadvantage?" Clemont said.

"I bet Rylee's got some super awesome strategy up her sleeve!" Trevor said.

"Of course, you won't know about it until I've defeated you." I teased. I turned to Clemont. "Are you sure you don't want to go find someone to battle against?"

Clemont waved his hand dismissively. "It's okay. I'll watch your battle."

"Then you can take pictures!" Trevor took off his camera and tossed it to Clemont. He fumbled with it for a moment before he securely caught it.

"All right! Battles begin!" Professor Sycamore lifted a whistle to his mouth and blew into it, releasing a high-pitched shriek into the air.

"We'll have the first move! Charmander, Fire Fang!"

Charmander's mouth filled with fire, and he lunged at Sylveon.

"Dodge, Sylveon."

Sylveon slunk out of the way, and Charmander ran past her.

"Grab Charmander with your ribbons."

Sylveon wrapped her ribbon-like feelers around Charmander and lifted him into the air. Charmander thrashed around as Sylveon's grip tightened steadily.

"Oh, no! Charmander, use Flame Charge to break free!"

Flames engulfed Charmander, and Sylveon cried out and released him. Charmander landed on his feet. Sylveon shook the flames off her ribbons.

"Use Flame Charge again!"

This time, Charmander rammed into Sylveon. She cried out and fell to the ground.

"Sylveon, are you okay?" I called. Sylveon climbed to her feet and whipped the sand off her ribbons.

"All right, Charmander, now use Fire Fang again!" Trevor called. However, Charmander didn't move. "Charmander?"

Charmander turned towards Sylveon, his eyes replaced with large, pink hearts.

"Charmander, what's wrong? Snap out of it!"

I smiled. "Looks like this match is in the bag. Sylveon, use Fairy Wind!"

Sylveon waved her ribbon-like feelers in the air and created a tornado of pink, shimmering wind. She thrust the tornado at Charmander, sweeping it up into the air. The sand at the base of the tornado picked up and flew everywhere. The Fairy Wind ceased, and Charmander fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Charmander is unable to battle! The winner is Rylee and Sylveon!" our referee announced.

Sylveon trotted over to me, and I knelt and petted her head. "You did awesome. Thanks."

" _Any time._ " Sylveon purred.

"Whoa..." Trevor said, picking up Charmander. He smiled and ran over to me. "That was so cool! What happened, anyway?"

"You see, my Sylveon's special ability is Cute Charm." I said. "During a battle, if a Pokémon of the opposite gender hits Sylveon with a physical attack, there's a chance that it'll become infatuated with her."

"Wow! That's so cool!" Trevor gushed. "I knew I didn't stand a chance against you. You're so smart."

I chuckled sheepishly. "Thank you."

* * *

"...And that's how I got the Voltage Badge from Clemont." Ash said.

"Wow! I wish I was there to witness the battle!" Tierno said.

"You never know what Ash is going to do." Clemont said. "I'm always learning new things to do for Pokémon through his actions. You're never sure of what's next."

"Oh, man, come on." Ash said, scratching the back of his head. "Your inventions are totally amazing!"

"You're an inventor?" Trevor said.

"Check it out." Clemont hoisted his backpack onto his lap and activated his Aipom Arm. "Inventing is my passion. I love coming up with things that help benefit Pokémon."

"My brother's inventions are unbelievable and super helpful!" Bonnie said.

"His inventions _are_ beneficial... at first." I said. I chuckled. "But then they blow up ten seconds later, so they're pretty useless after that."

"Like I said, I'm learning." Clemont said.

"Serena, how was your battle with Shauna?" Bonnie said.

"It was great! I figured most of it out, and Shauna helped me with the rest of it." Serena said.

"What about you, Rylee? How was your battle?"

"It was fun." I said. I turned to Trevor. "It was a smart move to use Flame Charge to get Charmander out from Sylveon's grasp. I'm impressed."

"Wow! That means so much coming from you!" Trevor gushed. "Your Sylveon is so strong!"

"Thank you."

* * *

~TPPOV~

Serena sat at the edge of the docks, her feet dangling right above the water. Fennekin sat in her lap, and she brushed her fur. She looked up at the starry sky with a smile.

"Becoming a Pokémon Master..." she said. Fennekin perked up. "Ash isn't the only one. There's Clemont, Rylee, Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor... They're all on a journey to make their dreams come true."

Serena paused in her brushing. Fennekin licked the back of her hand. Serena bowed her head and looked at her distorted reflection in the water.

"But... I need a dream, too..."

* * *

Clemont waited until the only thing he heard was the quiet breathing of his friends as they slept. He sat up in his bed and glanced around at them to make sure they really were asleep. Quietly and carefully, he pulled off the blanket draped over him and crawled out of bed. He put on his glasses and tiptoed to the door.

There was shifting from one of the bunk beds, and Clemont froze. When the movement stopped, he continued. He slowly opened and closed the cabin door behind him. Once he was outside, he shifted into his normal stride. He headed towards the Pokémon Center.

He glanced inside to see if Nurse Joy was at the front desk. Seeing she wasn't, so she wouldn't question him about being up late at night, he entered the Center. He walked over to the computers. He touched the icon that opened the PokéVision site. He spent a moment to scan the front page and figure out all the mechanics. He touched the icon that read, "MOST VIEWED". A new page popped up. At the top was the thumbnail to Rylee's video, which was of her smiling at the camera. Next to the thumbnail was the title, "The Meaning of Rylee".

Clemont turned down the volume and clicked the link. The video started up, and along with it was the view count: 10,849,017 views.

Clemont's eyes lit up as he watched the video. The video reflected in his glasses. When it ended on Rylee's smile, he smiled as well. He closed the site and exited the Pokémon Center.

 _Nearly eleven million..._ Clemont thought as he entered Team Froakie's cabin. He crawled back into his bed. _I wonder if one of them was..._

Clemont looked across the room, over to where Rylee slept. He took his glasses off, set them on his bedside table, and closed his eyes.


	28. Capturing the Essence of Summer

In the morning, 7 o'clock, the shrill shriek of a whistle filled our cabin, jolting me awake.

"Rise and shine, Team Froakie!" Serena cried. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail with a pink ribbon, and she wore a pink shirt, light pink pants with a matching light pink jacket tied around her waist, and black and pink tennis shoes. "We're going out for a run on the beach!"

"A run?!" Clemont groaned, stuffing his pillow over his face.

"Yes, a run!" Serena marched over and yanked the pillow away. She shoved Clemont's glasses onto his face, missing terribly. They dangled crookedly on his face. "We have to be in top shape for whatever activities are in store for us!"

"All right!" Ash said, jumping to his feet and jogging in place. "Let's do this!"

"Yeah!" Bonnie said, hopping out of her bed wearing a yellow and black onesie.

"I want everyone changed and ready to go in five minutes! We're gonna start the day off right!" Serena blew into her whistle again, startling Clemont as he tumbled out of his bed and crashed to the ground. Serena turned on her heel and left the cabin. I waited for the door to close behind her before I climbed out of bed.

"I wonder if I can make a clone in five minutes..." Clemont groaned as he straightened his glasses.

"Come on." I said, taking his hand and pulling him up to his feet. "The sooner we start, the sooner we get done... and the sooner I can stop hearing you whine."

Clemont pouted, the light reflecting his glasses and hiding his eyes.

* * *

Serena's whistle pattern kept us in time with our steps as we jogged alongside the beach. Dressed in a purple t-shirt, dark gray running capris, white tennis shoes, and my hair pulled back in a ponytail, I jogged lightly next to Clemont, who panted like a dog.

"Serena's... not fooling... around, is she?" Clemont gasped.

Serena paused to turn around. "Nope! Today's the day we get those ten points!" she cried, pumping her fist in the air. Bonnie and Ash caught up with her, and together they ran.

"Hurry up, or else you'll get left behind!" Bonnie giggled. Our Pokémon- Pikachu, Zoroark, Sylveon, Fennekin, Chespin, and Froakie- trailed close behind.

The distance between us and the others grew greater as Clemont's exhaustion slowed him down. He tripped and collapsed into the sand.

"I... need a break..." he groaned.

I smiled and placed my hands on my hips. With the mild exercise, I barely sweated; this was leisure time compared to conditioning back at Headquarters.

"Maybe we should have a Krabby chase after you again." I said, suppressing a smile as I thought back to the fishing competition we had yesterday. The image of Clemont scrambling across the beach with a Krabby snapping its claws at him made a laugh bubble in my throat. "That will make you run."

"I can't... go on... Save yourself..." Clemont said, flopping over onto his back. He reached his hand up to the sky. "I can see the light..."

I rolled my eyes. I gripped his outstretched hand and yanked him to his feet. "All right, then. Hop on my back."

Clemont recoiled. "What?!"

"If you're too tired, I'll carry you the rest of the way. Come on."

I turned around, and Clemont hesitantly climbed onto my back.

"Hold on." I said, a smile curling the corners of my mouth.

"What's that smile for-?" Clemont said before I took off into a sprint. He screamed and wrapped his arms around my neck.

The others, who reached the finish point and stopped to stretch, quickly came into view. I skidded to a stop, kicking up a cloud of sand that coated the others.

"Hey!" Serena cried as she and Fennekin shook sand out of their hair. "Do that again, and I'll double your laps!"

"You mean my morning routine?" I said. I stood up straight, but Clemont still wrapped around me like a koala. "Clemont, you can get off now."

"R-Right..." he whimpered as he slipped off and crashed to the ground.

"This is good for you, Clemont!" Bonnie said, hovering in his upside-down view with her hands on her hips. "How else will you be able to run away from all your admirers?"

"That's easy... I just won't have any."

"You certainly won't if you can't run faster than a Shuckle!"

* * *

After changing into our regular clothes, we headed to the lunch hall for breakfast. We sat with Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor. Once our dishes were disposed, Professor Sycamore and Alyssa stepped onto the miniature stage at the front of the room.

"Good morning!" Sycamore said. The other campers responded. "What a lovely day! It's perfect summer camp weather. Today, you'll all be making your own PokéVision videos. I know some of you have made your own PokéVision videos before, but just in case, it refers to making a Pokémon promo video. I'd like to show you a video that I made as an example."

Professor Sycamore gestured to the large TV behind him, and an image of his laboratory in Lumiose City illuminated the screen.

 _"Hi, there. Welcome to the Sycamore Pokémon Lab."_ Sycamore's voice-over said. The camera zoomed into the front hall, showing Sycamore at the top of the velvet carpeted staircase. On the steps below were a Chespin, Froakie, and Fennekin. Alyssa was at the bottom of the staircase, smiling at the Fennekin. _"This is where I spend time researching and taking good care of your first Pokémon partners."_

The scene changed to inside one of the research facilities inside the lab, where Colress held a clipboard in his hands and jotted notes down about the Zigzagoon standing on a table.

 _"And that's not all. My assistants and I are also busy conducting daily research on Pokémon evolution."_ Sycamore's voice-over said as it showed him walking towards the small pond inside the Pokémon habitat. He turned to the camera, and a pair of Combee flew out of the trees _"The more we research, the more we find in the world of Pokémon. They're all truly amazing!"_

The last scene was of Sycamore standing with Colress and Alyssa on his left side, Garchomp on the right, and multiple different kinds of Pokémon surrounding them.

 _"If you have any questions about the world of Pokémon, don't hesitate to get in touch!"_

The video ended, and we applauded.

"Thank you." Sycamore said, raising a hand to hush the applause. "As you just saw, PokéVision lets trainers and Pokémon show what makes them special to an even wider audience. And so, for today, each team is going to make their very own PokéVision video."

"To help you make exciting videos, I've got all the tools you need to make Poké Puffs." Alyssa said, standing next to a cart stacked with cooking supplies. "Please put them to good use. I'd like your videos to be finished by this evening. As always, the top three teams earn points. This will be decided by a vote we take right here after the big screening."

"I'm expecting to see some great work! Ready, begin!" Sycamore said, pulling a whistle from his jacket and blowing into it.

"This is great! I've been wanting to make another PokéVision video!" Serena said. "No one's going to beat me!"

"Yeah! No one's going to beat _me_!" Shauna said, jumping to her feet. She and Serena climbed out from the table and hurried to the door.

"When it comes to PokéVision videos, Shauna's got this one in the bag. Which means we'll be extending our lead!" Tierno said.

"Nope! No way!" Ash hopped out from the table. "We're gonna make a PokéVision video you won't believe!"

Ash sprinted to the door.

"Hey, wait!" Tierno cried, chasing after him.

"Good luck to you guys!" Trevor said. "With the success of your last video, Rylee, I just know you're gonna make something spectacular!"

"Thanks, Trevor. We'll have to wait until later tonight to see." I said.

Trevor nodded enthusiastically before running outside.

"He sure is... energetic." Clemont said.

"I didn't think I'd become a celebrity, though." I said.

"But doesn't all that bother you? The attention seems a little excessive..."

"It's okay." I eyed Clemont. "Why do you care?"

Clemont crossed his arms. "No reason."

"Are you jealous?"

"Me? Jealous?" Clemont scoffed. "I'm a scientist. I have no time to be jealous of some guy fawning over you."

I chuckled and climbed out from the table. "Oh, okay. Maybe while we're filming, you can be a Grass-type Pokémon. After all, you've got the whole green look down."

"I'm not jealous!" Clemont cried as I walked to the door.

* * *

Back at our cabin, Serena sat down on the couch and held up a picture she drew of our seven Pokémon. "Okay, here's the concept of our video. It's called "Friends"! Our Pokémon will be the stars!"

"Dedenne, can you handle that?" Bonnie said, glancing up at Dedenne.

" _Uh..._ " Dedenne said.

"You'll do great! The only thing you'll have to do is be yourself." Serena set the picture down on the table. "I'll be in charge of making beautiful Poké Puffs! With this idea, we can't lose!"

"Yes!" Ash jumped in the air. "Let's aim for the top!"

"We'll take everything we learned during our journey and put it all in our PokéVision video. It's going to be great!" Clemont said.

"Yeah!" Serena said.

"I've learned from my past mistakes." Clemont adjusted his glasses, hiding his eyes in the reflecting light. "Of course, that means the future is now, thanks to science! Clemontic Gear, on!"

Clemont's camera machine from when we first did PokéVision videos stood next to him.

"Revised and better than ever, my latest invention, the PokéStar Shooter, Mark 2!"

"Oh, no, we're not!" Serena said, hiding behind me. "That thing chased me around the last time we used it!"

"No, that was the first PokéStar Shooter. Its previous problems have been fixed in this new model!" Clemont said. "Ash, Rylee, I have to make some minor adjustments, so would you assist me?"

"Sure, no problem!" Ash said.

"Before that thing can malfunction again, Bonnie and I are heading to the lunch hall to make Poké Puffs." Serena said. "Let us know when all the smoke has cleared, and we'll get some real equipment."

"This _is_ real equipment!" Clemont cried as Bonnie and Serena left the cabin.

* * *

~SERENA~

"Okay, the dough is set." I said, placing a pan of Poké Puff dough on the table. "Fennekin?"

Fennekin used Flamethrower to toast the Poké Puffs.

"Great! Thanks!"

"This is kind of hard..." Bonnie said, holding up a Poké Puff she decorated. I placed a cherry into the yellow frosting. "Wow, this looks great!"

"They sure do. Let's make some more."

"Hey, Serena," Shauna said, walking over from her table that was next to ours, "did you see Aria's newest PokéVision video yet?"

"No, I haven't had a chance to." I said.

"It's got a lot of style. You've just gotta see it! Aria's Fennekin evolved into Braixen!"

"That's wonderful news!"

"She's an awesome trainer. She got super, _super_ popular after becoming a Pokémon Performer, but she still insists on putting out new PokéVision videos." Shauna said. "In fact, her latest video is already climbing up to the top. It's only a matter of time before she reclaims her spot at Number 1 on PokéVision Live."

"What's a Pokémon Performer?" Bonnie asked.

"You don't know?! Pokémon Performers are made up of the cutest trainers! They even have their own Pokémon Performer festival! Ever heard of the Pokémon Showcase?"

"No..." I said.

Shauna pouted. "Man, you don't know anything about it, do you? The Pokémon Showcase is a performance event that takes place all over Kalos. The cute and talented trainers who participate in it are called Pokémon Performers. The Pokémon Showcase is made up of two competitions- the theme performance and the general freestyle performance. There are a whole bunch of different themes in this competition: making Poké Puffs, grooming Pokémon, performing with props, things like that. Sometimes there will be special themes, depending on the competition. In the freestyle performance, you must use your Pokémon's skills to their fullest, and they appear alongside with their trainer. If you're good enough to win three or more competitions, you get to appear in what's called the Master Class. The trainer who wins there, along with their Pokémon, receives the title of Kalos Queen! Right now, the Kalos Queen is none other than Aria!"

"Kalos Queen? Wow..." I said, clasping my hands together. "That sounds amazing!"

"Is there no battling?" Bonnie said.

Shauna shook her head. "Pokémon performance demonstrates the partnership between Pokémon and trainer in a completely different way than having a battle."

"Do you want to be a performer?"

"I sure do! Right now, I'm researching with style! I'll work real hard, then in our competitions, I'll fulfill my dream: being Kalos Queen!"

"Your dream..." I said, lost in thought.

"Serena," I turned and saw Ash, Rylee, and Clemont walking to our table with the PokéStar Shooter, Mark 2, "we're all done."

"Are you ready to begin shooting?" Clemont said.

I smiled. "Yeah. Just give me a second!"

* * *

~RYLEE~

"Time for location scouting!" Serena said from on top of a rock. "If we want the best video, it has to be in the best place!"

First, we surveyed the beach. Serena, unsatisfied with any of the spots we suggested, took us to the forest.

"I think we're getting pretty far away from camp." Clemont said.

"If we go a little further, I think we might find the perfect spot." Serena said.

"If we keep this up, we'll spend the whole day searching." Bonnie said.

"Yeah... Maybe you're right..." Serena stopped and looked around. "There! That should be good!"

Serena pointed to a section of the forest where flowers bloomed and the sunlight showered it.

"That'll be perfect!" Serena said, running down the path.

"Wait a minute, Serena!" Ash said, chasing after her.

"I'll just check it out! No big de-"

Serena came to a cliff. She took another step, and the ground beneath her snapped off the side. She screamed as she tumbled over the edge.

"Serena!" Ash reached out and grabbed her wrist, but the momentum of the two sent them both over the edge. Without missing a beat, Pikachu hopped down the rocks after them.

"Oh, no!" Clemont cried when we reached the cliffside. "Ash! Serena!"

"Let's go and tell Professor Sycamore." I said.

* * *

~TPPOV~

Serena opened her eyes and climbed to her knees. She glanced around the shady, rocky area. She looked up, and a large slab of rock blocked them from the sun. A small stream ran nearby. Ash laid in front of her.

"Ash, are you okay?" Serena said.

"Yeah, how about you?" Ash said.

"I'm all right."

Pikachu jogged over to them and chattered happily. Serena stared at him in confusion.

"Why can't I understand him anymore?" she said.

Ash looked up the side of the cliff. "We must be too far from Rylee and the others." Ash picked up Serena's hat and handed it to her.

Serena accepted the hat and put it on. "Thank you."

Ash smiled and tried to stand up. He winced and dropped to his knee. He clutched his ankle. "I guess I twisted it on the way down."

"Oh, no..." Serena said. "I'm so sorry, Ash. It's my fault."

"No, really. It's okay."

Serena sighed. "Have a seat. Take off your shoe."

Ash obeyed, and Serena pulled out a cloth and dipped it into the stream.

"I feel really bad about all this..." Serena said, placing the cloth around Ash's ankle. "That should help the swelling."

"Thanks." Ash said. He petted Pikachu. "And thanks for worrying about me, Pikachu."

"Pikachu is so awesome. It came down all this way because it cares so much about you."

"Well, with being together as long as we have, Pikachu and I have been in a lot of tough spots. As long as we're a team, we're fine."

Serena stood up, fished out Fennekin's PokéBall, and called her out. She smiled and jumped into her arms.

"We're always a team, too." Serena said. She pulled out a Pokémon pellet and fed it to Fennekin. She glanced over at Ash, and a chill rushed down her spine when she saw him watching her and Fennekin with a smile.

* * *

~RYLEE~

"Are they all right?" Sycamore said after we explained our predicament.

"We think so." Clemont said.

"That's good. We'll put together a rescue team right away." Professor Sycamore hurried off towards the Pokémon Center.

"Hope they're all right. I'm worried..." Tierno said.

"How will they get them out?" Shauna said.

"We could just have Rylee use her special powers to bring Ash and Serena out from the canyon." Trevor said. He turned to me. "After all, from watching your PokéVision video, you can use Protect. Why not pull them out that way?"

"I'll let the adults take care of this." I said. "Good idea, though. I'll keep that in mind for next time."

* * *

~TPPOV~

"You know, we still have our PokéVision video to do." Ash said.

"I know that. I'm already stressed out as it is. Now I'm literally between a rock and a hard place." Serena said, sitting next to Ash with her legs close to her chest.

Ash chuckled. "You know..." He gazed thoughtfully at the cliffside. "We're done a lot at camp. When I'm battling, I'll be able to use all I've learned."

"Even the fishing competition?"

"You bet! Nothing we ever do is a waste of time." Ash looked down at Pikachu, who smiled up at him from his lap. "Everything we've done on our journey leads to the Kalos League. The more stuff we do, the better!"

Serena smiled. "You're always doing your best. And you've done so much..."

"But I'm not done yet. I don't think I'm even close. After all, I've gotta make my dream come true. How else am I going to become a Pokémon Master?"

Serena stood up. "Of course!" she said, holding a hand over her heart. "You really are an amazing person..."

Ash looked up at Serena curiously, and a wild blush filled her cheeks. She took the cloth off his ankle and crouched down at the water.

"Having a dream..." she said, soaking the cloth in the stream. She stood up and walked back over to Ash. She knelt and placed the cloth back around his ankle, lingering her hands on it. "Sometimes I wonder... What is _my_ dream? What is it that I want?"

"Don't worry. You've got plenty of time to figure that out." Ash said. Fennekin nuzzled her cheek against Serena's knee, and she picked her up. "You and Fennekin can find out your dream together."

"Yeah..." Serena said, gazing at Ash with a smile.

"Hello?" Professor Sycamore's voice echoed down to where the two teenagers were. "Ash? Serena? Are you down there?"

"Yeah! Serena and I are here!" Ash said.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes! We're fine!" Serena said.

"The rescue team's on its way down."

Three ropes flew over the edge and dangled next to the cliff. The rescue team, two men and one women, climbed down the ropes.

* * *

~RYLEE~

The rescue team lifted Ash and Serena up onto the cliffside.

"Are you okay?" Bonnie said.

"Yeah." Serena said, looking to Ash, who was propped up by one of the rescue members. "Ash twisted his ankle, though."

"I'll take him." I said. I walked over and slung Ash's arm around my shoulder. With my arm around his waist, I led him away from the edge. "I'll get you patched up later."

"Thanks. Sorry for all the trouble we caused." Ash said.

"I'm just glad you two are safe." Professor Sycamore said.

"So, what about the place you saw?" Clemont said.

"Oh, yeah! We can still check it out!" Serena said. "Of course, we'll find a different way to get there."

* * *

We arrived at the meadow. Thousands of white flowers filled the green grass.

"It's beautiful!" Serena squealed as she and Fennekin twirled midst the flowers.

"This is a great place to film our video." Ash said, adjusting his weight to be more comfortable.

"It's like it was waiting for us!" Clemont said.

"After everything we've been through, we'll make the best PokéVision video ever!" Serena said. We cheered in agreement.

"Focus on the Pokémon for the moment. After I help Ash, we'll come in." I said.

"Okay."

I lead Ash to a nearby rock and sat him down. I brought my hands together and summoned a ball of Heal Pulse.

"Hey, Rylee..." Ash said.

"Yes?" I said, pressing the Heal Pulse into his ankle.

"I've been wanting to talk to you ever since you started officially traveling with us."

I looked up at him, and his serious expression concerned me. I put on a smile.

"We can do that... but later, okay? We've still got the rest of the summer camp. Let's enjoy the time we're here." I said. Ash nodded. I stood up. "Okay, that should do it. Let's test out your ankle."

I reached out my hands, and Ash took them. I lifted him to his feet. While I took a step back, he stepped forward. We repeated this for a few more feet to ensure that there still weren't any problems.

"It's all better! Thanks." Ash grinned.

I smiled and nodded. I turned to Serena. "Okay, we're ready!"

* * *

"All right!" Professor Sycamore said as the applause for the last video died down. "Our next video is from Team Squirtle!"

The TV lit up, showing Shauna, Trevor, and Tierno with their Pokémon.

 _"Hey, we're Team Squirtle!"_ Tierno's voice-over said as it showed Charmander using Flamethrower, Bulbasaur using Solar Beam, and Squirtle using Water Gun. _"Allow me to introduce the tricked out trio that's taking the Pokémon summer camp by storm!"_

The three moves combined and filled the scene with smoke. The next scene showed Charmander running on the shore.

 _"The super-speed battling Charmander!"_ Trevor's voice-over said. Charmander skidded to a stop, and it showed him and Trevor. _"When it comes to Pokémon knowledge, I'm second to none: Trevor!"_

 _"Battle is all about movin' and groovin' for Squirtle! With pro-dancing on my mind, I'm Tierno!"_ Tierno's voice-over said. It showed Squirtle breakdancing in the sand before he hopped to his feet. The camera zoomed out, showing Tierno alongside him.

 _"No matter what's up, it's rock solid and reliable Bulbasaur!"_ Shauna's voice-over said as Bulbasaur used Petal Dance. The pink, glowing petals swirled in the air and showered Shauna. _"With dreams of being a Pokémon Performer dancing in my head, I'm Shauna!"_

 _"Team Squirtle's always on the prowl for battling opponents!"_ Tierno's voice-over said as it went back to the beginning image.

When the video ended, Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor thanked the audience as they applauded.

"That was pretty good!" Serena said.

"Our last video is by Team Froakie!" Professor Sycamore said. Serena's face fell.

"Come on!" Bonnie said as we stood up from the table and stood on stage. A sweat broke on Serena's face as she stared at the audience.

"Are you all right?" I whispered.

Serena looked at me, noticing my presence. "I'm a little nervous."

I smiled. "Just relax. We all did a great job on the video. No matter what happens, know that you did you're very best."

Serena gazed at me thoughtfully. "Okay..." she said, and she turned to the screen.

The lights dimmed, and the TV lit up. The camera panned up, showing the flowery meadow where we filmed our video. The panning stopped and zoomed in on us and our Pokémon.

 _"Hi, I'm Serena! This is my partner, Fennekin!"_ Serena's voice-over said as her film self placed a flower crown on Fennekin's head. _"Today, we're having a picnic, so I've made a basket of Poké Puffs! Fennekin loves them."_

Film Serena pulled a Poké Puff from a basket and tossed it into the air. Fennekin jumped up, but she missed it. The Poké Puff rolled down the hill. Our Pokémon chased after the Poké Puff. It landed at Chespin's feet. He picked it up and ate it. Our Pokémon stumbled into a big pile.

 _"Here, I've got more!"_ Film Serena held out the basket of Poké Puffs. All seven of our Pokémon jumped into the air and crashed into Serena. The Poké Puffs and our Pokémon went flying everywhere, and the image stopped on it.

The campers applauded while we waved.

"Wow..." Serena said, absorbing all the cheers.

"Now, it's time for you all to pick the three videos you liked the most- other than your own, of course." Sycamore said.

* * *

~SERENA~

While the votes were being counted, Shauna and I sat beside each other on the shore

"You know, the idea for using Poké Puffs in our video came from what we went through today." I said.

"Really?" Shauna said.

I nodded. "Today, Ash said there's nothing we can ever do that's a waste of time."

Shauna chuckled. "That Ash is a pretty smart guy."

I stood up and walked closer to the water. I looked up past the gray-blue clouds and up at the stars. "It would be beyond amazing if I could go and see a Pokémon Showcase sometime. You know, to see what a Pokémon Performer does."

"I'll go with you!" Shauna said.

I turned to her and smiled.

"Hey, guys, they're going to announce the winners!" Ash called from the balcony.

"Okay, thanks!" I said. "Let's go!"

* * *

~RYLEE~

"Thanks to you votes, we've decided on the top three PokéVision videos." Alyssa said once everyone sat down. "Third place goes to... Team Charmander!"

Team Charmander jumped to their feet and cheered while the rest of us clapped for their victory.

"You all did a good job with showcasing the beauty of Water-types." Sycamore said.

"Second place goes to... Team Chikorita!" Alyssa said. Team Chikorita cheered.

"You showed the elegance of Flying-types in a masterful way."

"Finally, first place... which goes to..."

I glanced over at Serena, who clasped her hands together with her eyes closed, as if she was praying.

"Team Froakie!"

My friends and I looked at each other with wide grins. We leaped from the table and cheered.

"Congratulations!" Shauna said.

"Guess that's the way it goes..." Tierno said, slumped over the table.

"It's possible we went a little too battle crazy, but I don't mind losing to Rylee and her friends all that much." Trevor said.

We headed up to the stage.

"The way you brought out the unique character of each Pokémon... That is what put you at the top!" Sycamore said as he, too, applauded. "So, then! All three winning teams will receive points. Congratulations! You should all be proud. Each of you did marvelous!"

* * *

~SERENA~

 _That's what I want..._ I thought as I gazed at the cheering crowd of campers. _I finally know what it is that I want to pursue._

I looked at all my friends as they basked in our limelight. I turned forward and searched the crowd for Shauna. When I found her, I smiled.

 _My dream... is to be a Pokémon Performer!_


	29. Climbing the Tower of Mastery

A few days later, the Pokémon summer camp ended. On the last day, Serena, Clemont, and Ash battled against Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor in a three-on-three tag battle. Ash was really impressed by Tierno and Squirtle's dancing strategy, and he asked to get some pointers from them. Although, in my opinion, I wasn't sure if Tierno's strategy would work as effectively for Ash.

Team Froakie won first place in the summer camp, and now we had finally reached Shalour City. We stopped at the Pokémon Center to get checkups on our Pokémon, especially Ash in preparation of his Gym battle against Korrina.

"All right!" Ash said as Pikachu hopped onto his shoulder. He turned to us. "Let's head to the Gym!"

"You've seen how strong Korrina and Lucario are, especially now that they've got Mega Evolution. Are you sure you're ready? Maybe you should train more." Clemont said.

"He's right. What about Tierno's rhythmic battle style? Have you mastered that yet?" Serena said.

"I'll be fine! If I tackle that battle head-on, it'll all work out!" Ash said.

"You use _that_ strategy all the time, and I'm surprised it's gotten you this far." I said.

We walked onto the Pokémon Center's stone balcony. Shalour City, like the summer camp, was located next to the sea. A large tower stood on a small island in the middle of the water- the Tower of Mastery.

"The Shalour Gym should be inside there." Serena said. "Question is, how are we going to get there?"

Ash turned to me. "Hey, Rylee, why don't you call out-"

"Maybe we can find a ferry or something." I said quickly.

"Those who seek power, shew your heart, and the path shall reveal itself!" A familiar crunch of rollerblades over sidewalk cracks whizzed past us, and we turned and saw Korrina and Lucario. "Nice to see you guys again! Welcome to Shalour City! I hear you're wanting to challenge the Shalour Gym Leader. I must warn you, you better be pretty prepared to take her on!"

"You bet I am!" Ash said.

"But... you haven't decided on a strategy yet." Serena whispered.

"I've been training hard since we separated, and I've beaten all the challengers I've faced since then." Korrina said. She placed her hands on her hips, leaned forward, and smiled. "You sure you still want to challenge me?"

"Are you kidding me? That just gives me even more reason to battle you!" Ash said. "I'll beat you and your Mega Lucario, and I'll win my third Kalos badge!"

"But the Gym is over in that tower, right?" Clemont said. "How are we going to get there?"

"Sorry, but you can't go there right now." Korrina said.

" _What_?! Why not?!" Ash cried.

"There's a saying: 'Those with a desire to battle must wait patiently'. Grandpa says it a lot; it's the motto our family lives by. It's going to be a while before we can get over there."

"But I want to have a battle now!" Ash whined.

"It's all right, Ash. This just means you'll have some more time to train. After all, Korrina's done it and she's even stronger." I said.

Ash threw back his head and groaned. "I guess you're right..."

Ash called out his Pokémon: Fletchinder, Hawlucha, Froakie, and Pikachu.

"Don't you think you should wait until I leave before you start training?" Korrina said. "After all, you don't want me to see your strategy."

"It's fine. I don't mind." Ash said. Clemont set down a phonograph. "All right, everyone! It's time to dance!"

Clemont cued up the music, and Ash and his four Pokémon danced to the music.

"What... kind of strategy is... this?" Korrina sweatdropped.

"It's simple: move it and groove it!" Ash said as he bumbled around. Bonnie snickered into her palms, trying her best to keep her laughter down from Ash's horrible dancing. Korrina and Lucario stared at Ash in disbelief.

"We've got to do something about the 'move' part of your strategy." Serena said.

"Yeah, but how do we make it better?" Bonnie said.

"That's easy! The future is now, thanks to science!" Clemont said, whipping out a new machine. "This is my 'Not-A-Very-Good-Dancer-Automated-Good-Dancing' device!"

" _That name gave me a headache._ " Zoroark said.

The cuffs attached to the machines latched onto Ash, grabbing his arms, waist, and legs.

"It's a revolution in dance, allowing anyone with no rhythm to move and groove, following the beat to a T!" Clemont said.

"But we're talking about _Ash_ here..." Serena said.

"This ought to be good..." Bonnie said.

"It will! Full power!" Clemont pressed a button on his music note-shaped remote, and the machine booted to life, forcing Ash to dancing around. "Continued practice with my device will have him dancing like a natural in no time! Let's pick up the tempo!"

Clemont pressed the 'increase speed' button several times.

"Stop this crazy thing!" Ash cried as the machine spun him around repeatedly. His Pokémon ducked out of the way to avoid his flying foot.

"Clemont, make it stop!" Serena said.

"I'm trying!" Clemont said, pressing multiple buttons on the remote. "It's not stopping! Look out!"

The machine hissed with smoke, and it exploded. Ash fell to the ground, covered with soot.

"Oh, man... Everything's spinning..." he groaned.

"I'm so sorry..." Clemont said.

"I guess that's the end of your training." Bonnie said.

"Wait!" Serena said. "I'll be your dance teacher!"

"You sure?" Ash said.

"Of course! I'm an excellent dancer! Just leave everything to me!"

* * *

"No, Ash, like this!" Serena said, posing.

"Like this?" Ash said, striking something that didn't come close.

"No, this!"

"This?"

"No!"

Ash sighed and slumped his shoulders.

"Sorry, Ash, but you've got no sense of rhythm at all." Bonnie said.

"You know, I guess you've just got your own unique sense of rhythm." Serena said.

"Really? My own?" Ash said.

Serena nodded. "Let's try and channel that, okay?"

By sunset, Ash's training finished. Ash collapsed on the ground.

"I'm wiped." he said.

"I don't think this is working out so well." Bonnie said.

"People are good at some things and not-so-good at other things. This whole dancing thing just isn't one of your strongest suits." Clemont said. "Maybe you should go back to your old strategy. It's worked pretty well so far."

Ash jumped to his feet with a kip-up. "There's only one choice left for me: to give it everything I've got!"

"Hey, Ash!" Korrina called. We looked over the balcony and saw her and Lucario on the ground floor. "Are you finished training?"

"Yeah."

"Good timing. We'll be able to get to the island soon."

"Soon?"

We headed off the balcony and out of the Pokémon Center. We walked with Korrina and Lucario to the shore, and we waited in front of the water.

"Is something supposed to happen...?" Ash said.

"Just wait." Korrina said.

The tide subsided, and a path to the tower revealed itself.

"All right! Let's go!" Korrina said.

* * *

"This is the Tower of Mastery." Korrina said as we stared up at the tall tower.

"All right! Let's go have our Gym battle!" Ash said, running to the entrance.

The front doors were opened by Gurkinn. "There's no need to be hasty." he said as he approached Ash.

"It's nice to see you again, sir. I'm here to have my Gym battle!"

"But before you do, you must listen to what I tell you. Fact is, that's the rule when anyone comes to this island."

"Um... okay."

Korrina sighed. "Here we go again."

"I'd like to tell you a valuable story, concerning Mega Evolution. Come, follow me." Gurkinn said.

We followed him into the Tower.

"Heads up- get ready for a _long_ story." Korrina said.

Gurkinn brought us to the bottom floor of the Tower. In the center of the room was a statue of Mega Lucario.

"This statue symbolizes our family friend and our bond with Mega Lucario. You see, the history of Mega Evolution began long ago with the arrival of one of my ancestors, right here on this island." Gurkinn said. "This man was traveling and training with his Lucario when they found two peculiar stones right here. With those stones, the man's Lucario could Mega Evolve. It is believed that it was the world's first Mega Evolution. Our family has lived here and protected Mega Evolution Island ever since."

"Wow, this sure is an important, historical landmark." Ash said.

"You bet! I want to become a great Gym Leader, just like my grandpa and my ancestor!" Korrina said.

"Well, you've already got the ability to Mega Evolve, and you're already a great Gym Leader." Serena said.

"You think? Oh, go on!"

"To me, she still has a long way to go." Gurkinn said, folding his arms. "It's too soon to pass down the Scroll of Secrets to her."

"Ugh... Not _that_ again..."

"What's the Scroll of Secrets?" Ash asked.

"A family treasure. It lists everything one needs to know to be a Gym Leader." Gurkinn said.

"Can we see it?"

"Not possible. Only those chosen are allowed to see it."

"Grandpa has it hidden away somewhere and won't show it to anybody." Korrina said.

The room filled with grumbles, and Ash's hands flew to his stomach.

"Time to eat!" he said. "We haven't had dinner yet."

"Since it's already late, let's have our Gym battle tomorrow." Korrina said. "You guys can stay here tonight. Let's have dinner together!"

* * *

Late in the night, the room we stayed in filled with shrieking alarms. All of us sat up straight in our beds, staring at each other with wide, confused eyes.

"What's going on?!" Bonnie cried.

"Someone must've broken in!" Korrina said, flying out of her bed.

We ran out of our room and saw Gurkinn.

"Grandpa, what's wrong?" Korrina said.

"They stole the Scroll of Secrets!" Gurkinn said, pointing to Team Rocket.

"Oh, not _you_ again. Did you come here to brush up on your Mega Evolution knowledge? Because you sure need it after the last time we met."

"We sure do, so we'll be taking this here scroll and skedaddling!" Jessie said.

"Stop! I won't let you!" Gurkinn panted.

"Let us handle this, Gurkinn. We'll get them out of here faster than you can say, 'We're blasting off again.'" I said.

Leaving Gurkinn behind, we chased after Team Rocket.

"Inkay, Psybeam!"

James called out Inkay, and it used Psybeam. It hit the ground in front of us, knocking off the path and creating a drop-off. Korrina almost fell, but Lucario grabbed her and kept her on the ramp.

"Use Psybeam again!"

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

Before Inkay could attack, Pikachu's Thunderbolt hit it.

"Let's go!" I said, and Ash and Korrina hopped over the gap. "I've got an idea. Keep going!"

I turned around and ran down the pathway, past Clemont, who laid on the ground panting, Bonnie, who eyed her brother in disbelief, and Serena while she helped Gurkinn up the path. I ran to the ground floor and out the door. Perched in the middle of the path was Team Rocket's balloon.

"Get back here!" Ash cried. I looked up at the balcony and saw Team Rocket jump off and run towards their hot-air balloon.

"Oh, no, you don't!" I cried. I jumped onto the balcony and, pushing off my foot, leaped into the air. I brought my hands together and summoned Hyper Beam. I launched the Hyper Beam into the balloon. It cut through, leaving a large hole in the mouth, and it detached from the basket and flew off into the sky.

"Hey! That was my face!" Meowth hissed.

"You're not going anywhere with that scroll!" I said, summoning a sword of Protect.

"Wait, Rylee!" Korrina and Lucario landed in front of me. "I'll handle this."

I nodded and stepped back. I dispelled the Protect.

"What, you two lightweights?" Jessie said.

"You got a problem with that? We've beaten you before, and we'll do it again in record time!" Korrina said.

"Such sass. Inkay, Psybeam!"

"Dodge it!"

Lucario jumped out of the way of the Psybeam.

"Pumpkaboo, use Shadow Ball!"

"Bone Rush!"

Lucario brought his paws together and created a glowing bone of white energy. He reeled it back and swung it like a baseball, knocking it into the Shadow Ball. The Shadow Ball launched back and hit Pumpkaboo.

 _Wow, she and Lucario have gotten better since the last time I saw them._ I thought. _Which makes me even_ more _worried about Ash's Gym battle._

"Attack en masse! Pumpkaboo, use Shadow Ball!"

"Use Tackle!"

"Fury Swipes time!"

The three Team Rocket Pokémon lunged at Lucario.

"Dodge them, Lucario!"

Lucario dodged each attack and landed at Korrina's side. A devious smile curled on her face.

"Ready?" she said, lifting her hand to her face. "Lucario, Mega Evolve!"

I shielded my eyes from the bright lights. Once they subsided, Lucario had Mega Evolved.

"Let's take out the trash." Korrina said.

"Use Shadow Ball!"

"Use Bone Rush!"

Mega Lucario used the same tactic, but this time his swing had much more power. The Shadow Ball slammed into Pumpkaboo, knocking it into Team Rocket and blasting them off into the sky. The Scroll of Secrets slipped out of their hands and spiraled down to the ground. Korrina reached out and caught it.

"Told you I could handle it." Korrina said, turning back to me.

I smiled. "I never doubted you for a second."

"That was awesome!" Ash cheered from the balcony. The others had joined him. "Man, I can't wait to battle you guys tomorrow!"

Korrina looked up and brandished the scroll. "Look, Grandpa! We got the scroll back!"

"I'm very proud of you. Well done." Gurkinn said.

Korrina and I met the others on the ground floor. Korrina handed the Scroll of Secrets to Gurkinn.

"Well, since you have it, can you open it?" Bonnie said.

"But we're not allowed to see it!" Serena said.

"Hmm... Since you managed to get the scroll back to me, I guess I can make an exception."

"Wow, you mean it?!" Ash said.

Gurkinn opened the scroll and cleared his throat. "Rule 1: Early to bed and early to rise! Rule 2: Eat in moderation, even if it's delicious! Rule 3: Keep all of your belongings organized and readily available!"

"Uh...?" Clemont said.

"Rule 4: Wash your hands several times a day!"

"Is that _really_ the Scroll of Secrets?" Serena said.

"You doubt me? It took a lot of effort! I spend a lot of hours writing this, all so Gym Leaders could be at the peak of perfection!"

" _That's_ what you wrote?" Korrina said.

"Profound, right?"

"So, there's nothing in there about Mega Evolution and your ancestors' history?" Clemont said.

"Uh, no. Not a single thing."

We all groaned and collapsed to the ground.

"Talk about an unusual plot twist." I sweatdropped.


	30. Facing the Fire

"The Shalour City Gym Battle between Ash and Korrina will now begin!" Gurkinn said, standing in the referee box. "Each trainer may use three Pokémon. Furthermore, only the challenger will be allowed to substitute Pokémon."

"You can do it, Ash!" Serena called while the rest of us, with the addition of Froakie, stood in a balcony overlooking the battlefield.

"Make sure you don't lose! Although that should be kind of a given!" Bonnie said.

"Gym Leader Korrina, come forth." Gurkinn said.

Korrina rode out on her roller skates. She hopped onto a rail and slid on top of it as it ran alongside the wall of the skate park-esque ramp that the battlefield was built in. She leaped across a gap and onto the next railing, skating past Ash. She picked up speed and rocketed into the air, performing a triple layout before landing in a crouch in her spot on the battlefield.

"Whoa." I said. "I have work to do."

"I give that a 10/10!" Bonnie squealed.

"So, we battle again, Ash." Korrina said, standing up straight and placing her hands on her hips. "It's about time."

"I've been looking forward to this for a long time. I'm super psyched!" Ash said.

"The feeling's mutual. Just promise you won't cry when I beat you."

"Only if you promise not to throw a hissy fit when _I_ beat _you_."

"All right, Mr. Sass Master. I say we move past the banter and get to the real showdown!"

"I hope Ash will be all right." Clemont said. "After spending all that time with Korrina before, he knows how strong Lucario is, especially now that it can Mega Evolve."

"I think he's got a plan stewing inside that brain of his." I said. "I can't count how many times I've seen him in this situation. All we can do is take a deep breath and trust that he knows what he's doing. After all, he wouldn't have gotten this far in either Unova or here if his strategies weren't successful."

"Okay! Let's get our battle rhythm going!" Ash said, clutching a PokéBall in his hand.

"Battle rhythm, huh? I hardly call what I saw 'rhythm'." Korrina said.

"Just you wait! I'm giving this all I've got, and I'll win that badge in no time!"

"All right. If you're so confident, then bring it on." Korrina beckoned tauntingly.

Korrina called out Mienfoo and Ash called out Hawlucha.

"I wonder how useful that rhythmic battle style will be to Ash." Clemont said.

"You're worried because Ash can't dance, right?" Serena said.

"That is a factor, but I'm talking about something different. As soon as Ash saw Korrina, he stopped trying to perfect his rhythmic battle style. You could say Korrina got Ash completely off his game."

"Stop it! Whose side are you on, anyway?" Bonnie said, clinging to Serena's leg.

"Bonnie, the real action in a Gym Battle begins the moment a trainer challenges a Gym."

"Maybe she did it on purpose so Ash would lose focus when the battle started." I said. "With that, Korrina could swoop in and take him down."

"All right. Battle... begin!" Gurkinn said.

Ash started clapping in beat, and Hawlucha started dancing. "Let's get our Shalour City Gym strategy rolling!"

"It's great that Hawlucha's doing what he should, but shouldn't Ash dance with it?" Bonnie said.

"Look, Pikachu's handling the rhythm." Clemont said, pointing to Pikachu as he danced and chanted with Hawlucha.

"That dancing has certainly left me speechless." Korrina said. "But now what are you going to do with it? High Jump Kick!"

"Use your rhythm to dodge it!"

While Hawlucha danced, Mienfoo slammed its knee into Hawlucha's back. Hawlucha flew back and crashed to the ground.

"Let's keep up the pressure! Use Drain Punch!"

Somersaulting in the air, Mienfoo brought back its fist as a ball of green and black energy formed at the tip.

"Use your rhythm to dodge!"

Hawlucha bobbed and weaved. He raised an arm and weakly blocked Mienfoo's first punch. The second punch hit Hawlucha in the stomach, and a portion of his energy transferred to Mienfoo.

"Use Karate Chop!"

"Deflect it with a kick!"

Hawlucha swiped his glowing white hand, but Mienfoo slammed its foot into his wrist, making him stumble back.

"Mienfoo's got such precise movements." Clemont said.

"Ash would, too, if he wasn't making his Pokémon bumble around like idiots." I said.

"Force Palm!"

While Ash pondered to himself, Mienfoo appeared in front Hawlucha in the blink of an eye and shoved the palm of its paw into Hawlucha's chest. Hawlucha flew back several feet and skid against the ground. Pikachu desperately tried to keep rhythm.

"Keep on surprising me, Ash!" Korrina said, her and Mienfoo punching forward together.

"Use Flying Press!"

Ash resumed the beat while Hawlucha jumped into the air.

"Mienfoo, use Swift!"

Mienfoo spread out its arms and summoned glowing, yellow, energy stars. It clapped its hands together, and the Swift flew towards Hawlucha.

"That's not a Fighting-type move!" Ash said. "Hawlucha, use rhythm!"

However, Hawlucha could only float in the air as the Swift collided with him. He fell to the ground.

"Come on, Ash! I'm rather disappointed; I thought you were better than this!" Korrina teased. "Let's wrap this up!"

Ash clenched his fists. "What am I going to do?" he said. He looked up and at us. A smile spread across his face. He crouched down and petted Pikachu's head. "Thanks, Pikachu, but you don't have to keep rhythm anymore."

" _What? Why?_ " Pikachu said.

Ash stood up and looked to Hawlucha. "That rhythmic battle style worked because Tierno was doing it. We've got our own unique rhythm. Dancing may be Tierno's style, but it's not mine!"

"It's about time our sense reached him." I said, crossing my arms with a smile.

"You honestly think you can just change your strategy mid-battle?" Korrina snickered.

"Who says I can't?" Ash said.

"I don't get you, Ash Ketchum. You can't just make huge decisions in situation like this." Korrina said. She looked at him with a scowl. "There's no way I'll let you win like that! Mienfoo, High Jump Kick!"

"Draw it in..." Ash said as he and Hawlucha waited for Mienfoo to get close. "Now!"

Hawlucha jumped out of the way, and Mienfoo crashed to the ground.

"Karate Chop!"

Hawlucha lunged at Mienfoo and swiped his claws. Mienfoo brought up its arms and blocked the attack.

"Use Force Palm!" Mienfoo ran towards Hawlucha.

"Use Flying Press!"

Hawlucha leaped into the air, posed, and dove down towards Mienfoo. He bodyslammed it into the ground, creating a huge cloud of dust. When the dust subsided, Hawlucha stood, facing Korrina with his arms crossed, while Mienfoo laid on the ground, unconscious.

"Mienfoo is unable to battle! Hawlucha is the winner!" Gurkinn said.

"Ash sure managed to turn everything around." Clemont said.

"Korrina said to surprise her, and he definitely did." I said.

"How do you like that?" Ash said.

"Impressive, I'll admit that. You might be ahead for now, but the next battle won't be so easy!" Korrina said, returning Mienfoo. She called out Machoke. Ash returned Hawlucha and called out Fletchinder.

"All right, Fletchinder, Flame Charge!"

Flapping his wings, Fletchinder gathered fire around his body until it consumed him. He rocketed towards Machoke.

"Machoke, run then jump!"

Machoke ran towards Fletchinder, then jumped into the air. The Flame Charge ceased, and Fletchinder looked around and tried to find Machoke.

"Brick Break!"

Machoke hovered above Fletchinder and brought back its arm. He slammed it into Fletchinder's back and launched it into the ground. Fletchinder crawled back to his feet.

"Low Sweep!"

In the blink of an eye, Machoke lunged at Fletchinder and smashed its knee into his body, knocking him off the battlefield. Fletchinder flapped his wings and regained his balance.

"Good job, Fletchinder. Now, use Steel Wing!"

Fletchinder's wings glowed with white energy as it flew towards Machoke. Machoke reached out and grabbed Fletchinder's wings, stopping the attack.

"All right, Machoke, throw it!"

"Razor Wind!"

Machoke threw Fletchinder over its shoulder. Flapping his wings, Fletchinder showered Machoke in the blade-like energy.

"Focus Blast!"

Machoke brought its hands together, and yellow energy built up between its palms.

"Flame Charge, let's go!"

Fletchinder rushed towards Machoke. Waiting until it was close enough, Machoke chucked the Focus Blast. However, it curved out of the way, and Fletchinder dodged it and slammed into Machoke. It landed on the ground, unconscious.

"Machoke is unable to battle! Fletchinder is the winner!" Gurkinn said.

"Two, nothing." Ash said with a smile. He extended his arm, and Fletchinder landed on it.

"All right!" Serena said. Bonnie giggled and twirled around with Dedenne in her arms.

"I wouldn't celebrate yet." I said. "Korrina's still got one more Pokémon."

Korrina called back Machoke. "I hope you're ready for my final Pokémon, Ash!"

Korrina summoned Lucario.

"We've been waiting for this." Ash said. He threw up his arm, and Fletchinder flew back onto the battlefield.

"Lucario, let's do this! Unlock the power within! Mega Evolve!" Korrina touched her Key Stone, and light burst from it. Lucario howled as magenta light consumed him. When the light subsided, Lucario was in its Mega Evolved form. An aura wave spread across the room and blew my hair back.

"Let's do this! Flame Charge!"

"Metal Sound!"

Mega Lucario brought the spikes on the back of his palms together, emitting a powerful shriek. The soundwaves hit Fletchinder and forced him back.

"Fight it, Fletchinder! Go!"

Fletchinder broke through the Metal Sound. Mega Lucario brought up his arms, and Fletchinder hit him.

"Aura Sphere!"

Mega Lucario brought his paws together as blue energy formed. He thrust out his arms, and an Aura Sphere curved towards Fletchinder.

"Use Steel Wing to block!"

Fletchinder covered his body with his wings. Lucario appeared behind Fletchinder.

"That Fire-type move really packed a punch, but we'll just deal it right back! Power-Up Punch!"

Mega Lucario reeled back his fist as it crackled with orange energy. He thrust it into Fletchinder's back and launched him into the ground. Fletchinder laid on the ground, unconscious.

"Fletchinder is unable to able! Lucario's the winner!" Gurkinn said.

"So, you're finally getting yourself caught up." Ash said, calling back Fletchinder.

"It's been a while since you've seen Lucario. We've been training real hard to make sure our hearts are bonded as one ever since we worked with Mabel." Korrina said. She smirked. "So, who's going to be our next victim?"

Ash summoned Hawlucha. "Karate Chop!"

"Fletchinder faced Mega Lucario after having already taken some damage." Clemont said. "I don't think things will be any different for Hawlucha."

I turned to face Clemont, but something running towards us caught my eye.

"Hey!" I cried at Team Rocket. "Why are you even here?"

"Spoken like a silly twerpette! We're hard at work!" Jessie said.

"Right! So, stay out of our way!" James said.

" _If anyone's in the way here, it's you!_ " Froakie said.

"There's no way we'll let you interfere with Ash's battle!" Serena said.

James and Jessie called out Inkay and Pumpkaboo.

"Psybeam!"

"Shadow Ball!"

The two Team Rocket Pokémon attacked, but Froakie threw his Frubbles and stopped them.

"All right, we'll have two battles going on. This one will end a lot sooner, though." I said. "Sylveon, use Dazzling Gleam!"

Sylveon spread out her ribbons and emitted a blinding white light, dazing Team Rocket.

"Zoroark, Shadow Ball!"

Zoroark jumped off my shoulder and transformed into her true self. She brought her paws together to form the dark energy and threw it at Team Rocket. They blasted off into the sky.

We turned back to the battle just in time to see Hawlucha fall to the ground, unconscious.

"They're both down to one Pokémon each." Clemont said.

"Here's a situation I've only witnessed a million times." I said, gripping the stone railing.

"Okay, Pikachu, let's do this!" Ash said. Pikachu ran onto the battlefield, his cheeks crackling with electricity.

"It's about time you brought out Pikachu. Now the real battle's begun." Korrina said.

"Pikachu's never defeated Lucario before. How will Pikachu handle an even powerful Mega Lucario?" Clemont said.

For several moments, there was no movement. All four on the battlefield remained still.

"Why isn't anyone moving?" Serena said.

"Both sides know they can't afford to lose this round. They're trying to be extra careful." Clemont said. "This has become a true battle of wills."

"I've never seen anything like this."

"And I've never been so nervous!" Bonnie said, hiding behind Dedenne. "All this tension is making my head hurt."

Pikachu's tail twitched, and Mega Lucario took a fighting stance.

"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!" Pikachu's contour glowed white, and he sprinted towards Mega Lucario at incredible speeds. "Electro Ball!"

"Use Bone Rush!"

Mega Lucario summoned two glowing energy bones as the Electro Ball gathered at the tip of Pikachu's tail. He jumped into the air and launched the Electro Ball at Mega Lucario. Mega Lucario swung the Bone Rush like a baseball bat, launching it back at Pikachu. It zoomed past Pikachu, barely missing his head, and hit the ceiling.

"Use Iron Tail!"

"Block it!" Mega Lucario brought up his arms and blocked Pikachu's attack. "Kick 'em!"

Mega Lucario shoved his foot into Pikachu and sent him back.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

The Thunderbolt hit Mega Lucario and shielded him in a cloud of dust.

"Aura Sphere!"

The dust subsided just as Mega Lucario launched the Aura Sphere and hit Pikachu. He landed in front of Ash.

"Pikachu, can you get up?" Ash said. Pikachu stood up. His cheeks crackled with electricity, and with a roar, Pikachu summoned a giant column of lightning.

"Pikachu's all fired up now." I said.

"Lucario, Metal Sound!" The soundwaves hit Pikachu.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt to stop that Metal Sound!" The Thunderbolt cut through the Metal Sound and hit Mega Lucario.

"Aura Sphere!"

"If Pikachu gets hit with the Aura Sphere, especially after that Metal Sound..." Clemont said.

"Shh!" Bonnie hissed, her eyes glued to the battle.

"Pikachu, use Iron Tail on the Aura Sphere!" Pikachu hit the Aura Sphere, knocking it to the ground, and used it to propel higher into the air.

"How is that even possible?" Korrina marveled. "Jump and use Bone Rush!"

"Iron Tail!"

The attacks collided, and both Pokémon fell to the ground. The impact covered the room with dust. When it subsided, both Pokémon were still standing.

"Incredible! Lucario took the hit Iron Tail before reaching full speed, and doing that kept the damage it took to a minimum." Clemont said, adjusting his glasses.

"That was amazing, Ash! I didn't think you could do something that like!" Korrina said.

"I had hoped it would wrap this battle up!"

Korrina straightened her gloves. "Here, let me. Use Power-Up Punch!"

"Iron Tail!"

The two attacks met.

"Electro Ball!"

"Aura Sphere!"

Again, the attacks met.

"Finish this with Thunderbolt!"

The attack hit, and the battlefield filled with crackling smoke. When the smoke subsided, Mega Lucario laid on the ground and reverted to its original form.

"Lucario is unable to battle. Pikachu wins! Which means, the match goes to Ash, the challenger!" Gurkinn said.

A wide grin stretched across Ash's face. "Yes!" he cried, running to Pikachu and scooping him in his arms. "We did it!"

I sighed in relief. "That was an exciting battle. I'm exhausted from just watching."

We left the balcony and regrouped with Ash on the battlefield. Korrina skated over to Ash.

"Ash, here you go." Korrina said, holding out the Rumble Badge. "You definitely deserve this."

Ash took the badge and placed it into his case. "Thanks, Korrina."

* * *

We stopped at the Pokémon Center to get check-ups on our Pokémon.

"So, where should we go next?" Clemont said.

"I don't know." Ash said. He set his PokéBalls down on the counter and turned to Serena. "What's the closest gym from here?"

Serena set her PokéBalls down and pulled out her Town Map. "The next Gym is in Coumarine Gym. Oooh, look! They're got a monorail!"

"Then I guess we're going to Coumarine City next!"

Zoroark and Sylveon jumped onto the front counter.

"You're Rylee, right?" Nurse Joy said.

"Yes, ma'am." I said.

"There's a call coming in from your brother." Nurse Joy said.

"N?" I said, raising my eyebrow.

Nurse Joy nodded. "The phone is down the hall. He said for you to answer as soon as you had the chance."

"Um... Okay. Thank you." I turned to my friends. "I'll be right back."

I headed out of the main room and down the hallway to the video phone. A small, glowing "HOLD" flashed in the top right corner of the black screen. I pressed the 'accept call' button, and the screen lit up with N's face.

"Hey, N." I said. "Why are you calling me?"

" _Dad told me you were trying to reach me. He said you'd be in Shalour City, so I've waited until you arrived._ " N said. " _So, what's up?_ "

"Dad said you were sent on a mission a few weeks ago, and that's why I couldn't reach you before. What's the mission?"

" _Oh..._ " N paused. " _Nothing too major. When you called me, I must've been on my way to my location. I'm in another region now._ "

"Which one?"

" _Well, we just arrived in the Hoenn region not too long ago._ "

" _Hey, N! Who are you talking to?_ " a young voice called, and the top half of a face peeked at the bottom of the screen, revealing a pair of light brown eyes and red hair. N sweatdropped.

"Oh... Hello." I said. "Who's this?"

The girl stepped back next to N. " _Hi, my name is Mairin!_ " she said. " _I've been traveling around with N!_ "

"Nice to meet you, Mairin."

" _This is my sister, Rylee._ " N said.

Mairin's eyes lit up. " _Oh, so_ you're _his sister! You're traveling with a boy named Ash, right?_ "

I flinched. "Um... yes. How do you know Ash?"

" _She saw the report of Garchomp._ " N said. " _It's pretty popular news, I guess._ "

I rubbed my temples. "Oh, boy... I guess my one-hit wonder's not the only thing that's rising me to fame."

" _What?_ "

I chuckled. "Nothing. Hey, Mairin, how's N handling himself?"

" _Great! He's been a real friend!_ " Mairin said, hugging N's arm. " _More than Alain has._ "

"Who's Alain?"

" _He's the other boy we're traveling with. He's not very nice, though._ "

" _He has his reasons, Mairin._ " N said. His face fell. " _Although they're very questionable..._ "

I watched N with a raised eyebrow.

" _Head to the front. I need to talk to Rylee._ " N said, gently shooing Mairin off-screen. He turned back to the camera. " _How's Kalos treating you?_ "

"It's nice to travel with Ash again." I said. "We're traveling with some other kids, too. Their names are Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie."

" _Clemont? You mean the Lumiose City Gym Leader?_ "

I nodded. "Bonnie's his little sister." I paused. "How did you know that?"

" _A fifteen-year-old Gym Leader isn't something you see every day._ "

"True. He's got some real talent." I smiled. N watched me as I spoke, his expression thoughtful. "Ash just won his third Gym Badge. We're heading to the next Gym in the morning."

" _Which Gym?_ "

"The one in Coumarine City."

N nodded. " _Ash is always set on his goals._ "

"Yeah." I said. "I should head back to the others. It was nice talking to you. Keep your ears peeled in case I'd like to talk again."

" _I'll do my best. I'll see you later._ "

"Bye."

I hung up the video phone and stared into the black screen and at my distorted reflection.

 _When I first tried to contact N, that was a few weeks ago. He just said he arrived in the Hoenn region, but I doubt it took that long. Was he in a different region before going there?_

I forgot to ask him what his objective was, but it apparently included traveling with Mairin and someone else named Alain. In fact, it was similar to me traveling around with Ash.

I headed back to the main room. I hadn't heard the chimes of healing during my call, which I thought to be rather unusual; Nurse Joy usually did things efficiently and in as little time as possible.

"Of course! I'll make sure Simisear has a thorough check-up. We already have a few Pokémon we're treating, so it may take a while. I'll call you when it's done." Nurse Joy said.

"Thank you, Nurse Joy." a voice said. I froze at the corner. "I'm guessing your Gym Battle went well?"

"It did! The Gym Leader is super strong, but there's no way I was going to lose." Ash said. "All my Pokémon did their best, and they definitely deserved the victory."

"I'm glad to hear that."

I slunk deeper back into the hallway. My heart began to race; I recognized that voice. I placed one hand on the wall to steady myself and the other over my heart to try and calm it. I wanted to run the other way. I wanted to hide. Gulping in a deep breath and clenching the hand hovering over my heart, I entered the main room.

Our eyes connected immediately. He had crouched down to speak to Bonnie at her level, and when he saw me, he straightened. He wore a white button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, black trousers, and brown loafers. His bowtie was gone and replaced by a normal, fiery red tie, which matched his hair and eyes.

"It's nice to see you again, Rylee." he said.

My friends looked between me and him, waiting for something to happen. Like Korrina and Ash's battle, we stood silently for several moments and watched each other, both of us too cautious to make the next move.

"Rylee, your Pokémon check-up is finished." Nurse Joy said, but I didn't turn to her. "Your Pokémon are feeling fine."

I nodded. Zoroark, sitting on the counter with Sylveon, dropped her jaw when she saw him.

" _Chili?_ " she said, speaking for me. " _You're... here in Kalos?_ "

Chili nodded and looked at me. "I came to find you, Rylee. Can we talk?"

Out of all the things you could say to someone, those three words put together in that order induces the worst kind of fear into a heart.


	31. A Chili Reunion

~TPPOV~

The orange sunset sky poured through the windows. Tables of different sizes and occupancies filled the room and surrounded Rylee. The room was empty except for her. She sat at a two-person table and shook her leg rapidly. Her eyes were glued to the table's surface as she tried her best to keep her heart from leaping into her throat. Chili entered the room, holding a teacup in each hand.

"Here." he said, setting one cup in front of Rylee. He sat down in the other chair, across from Rylee. He gave her a small smile. "You haven't really changed since the last time I saw you."

"Physically, maybe. Looks can be deceiving, though." Rylee said, crossing her arms and legs. She finally lifted her eyes off the table. "I'd say the same thing about you, but then we'd both be liars."

"Right..." They sat in silence. Chili rested his elbows on the table and clasped his hands. "How has Kalos fared you?"

Rylee sighed. "Why did you come here?"

Chili sat back. "I guess you're not in the mood for conversation."

"This one needs to get to the point."

"Fine, then. I came here to talk to you, but I also wanted to try and persuade you to, when I go home, come with me."

"I have things to do here."

Chili crossed his arms, and Rylee could sense his temper starting to boil. He, however, did well at remaining calm.

"You won't even consider?" he said.

"Why do you want me to go back? So you can enjoy watching me be torn to shreds?" Rylee said.

Chili's temper shifted to confusion. "What?"

"You came here because you're the messenger, right? Why don't you just cut to the chase?"

" _What_? I... don't understand..."

Rylee looked away, focusing on a potted tree in the corner. "You don't want me to come back. _He_ doesn't want me to come back."

Chili leaned forward, eyes wide. "Are you talking about Cilan?"

"It's the truth, isn't it? I know he hates me. He's moved on, and he sent you to soften the blow. You came all this way to tell me something I already know."

" _Hate_ you?" Chili's jaw dropped. "How... how can you be so selfish?"

Rylee looked up and into Chili's glare. He stood up, fists clenched.

"You think he's finally put all the pieces together and now he's moving on to bigger and better things in life?! You think that, because you're not there, he's _happier_?! My brother's heart was _shattered_ two years ago, and you think nothing of it?!"

Rylee stood from her chair abruptly, knocking it back and onto the ground. Both raging individuals paid no attention to the loud crash. "It's all I _have_ thought about! You think things have been easy for me? I lost the best thing I ever had! I _died_ in that train station!"

"So did he!"

Rylee's eyes widened as she stared into Chili's burning eyes. They shook as tears filled them. Chili's anger settled quickly when he saw the pools around her lids and the shock in her eyes.

"You haven't let go, right?" Chili said. "You still love him, don't you?"

Rylee's lip quivered, and she nodded slowly.

"If what you had was so special, then how could you possibly think that he doesn't still love you?" Chili's expression softened. "I still remember the look he had when he came home. I've never seen such despair before. He's worn it ever since. He won't talk about it, but I can see it in his eyes; all that's on his mind is the girl he loves."

At this point, Rylee blubbered profusely. Her body trembled, and she rested her hands against the table to steady herself.

"I... I always thought..." Rylee whispered.

" _Chili, please come to the front desk. Your Pokémon is done with its check-up._ " Nurse Joy said over the intercom.

Chili glanced towards the doorway, then back at Rylee. Without another word, he quietly left the room.

Rylee cried even harder. Her tears splattered against the back of her hands and soaked the table. She hadn't cried like this since the end of her Unova journey. All her stubborn assumptions were incorrect.

Sorrow filled her heart. What could she do? She had a mission to take care of. She couldn't ditch her friends. Bonnie relied on Rylee; she felt safe around her, knowing the Pokémon Guardian would help protect her. Serena is young and still learning; she depended on Rylee to teach her. The relationship between Bonnie and Serena reminded Rylee of her relationship with Iris. And Clemont... Rylee couldn't bear the thought of leaving him. Out of everyone in the group, she was the closest to him. She cared for and loved him like a little brother, even perhaps like her own child.

Rylee picked up her chair and sat down in it. She brushed her hands against her face and wiped her tears on her shorts.

"Hey, Rylee..." Rylee looked up, thinking it was Chili. Ash approached her. Noticing her red eyes, he hesitated. "Did I come at a bad time?"

Rylee shook her head. "No, it's okay. What do you need?"

"Well... I wanted to ask you if we could have a Pokémon battle." Ash said. Rylee raised an eyebrow. "Back in Kanto, you said we could have a battle the next time we met. Of course, if you can't right now..."

Rylee smiled and stood up. "I'm fine. I'd be happy to battle you."

Ash smiled, and the two left the room.

* * *

Poking his head out from a small potted tree at the archway into the now vacant room, Clemont stepped out and watched Ash and Rylee turn a corner and disappear down a hallway. He replayed Chili and Rylee's conversation, which he admittedly eavesdropped, in his head. His heart throbbed in remembrance of Rylee's agonizing sobs. He hurried down the hallway.

* * *

"This battle with be one-on-one." Ash said. "The battle will be over when one side's Pokémon is unable to battle."

Rylee nodded from her side of the battlefield. "All right. What Pokémon will you use?"

Ash glanced at Pikachu, who was perched on his shoulder, and extended out his arm. Pikachu smiled and ran down his arm. When he reached Ash's forearm, he jumped into the air, performed a somersault, and landed on the battlefield.

Rylee chuckled. "Very nice. I say we have a classic battle."

Zoroark, sitting on Rylee's shoulder in her Zorua illusion, leaped from her shoulder. She spiraled in the air as her body glowed magenta. Her body grew and the light subsided, revealing her true form. She landed on one knee, thrusting her fist into the dirt and creating a small dust cloud. She stood up straight.

"Geez, trying to one-up me, huh?" Ash said. "I wonder if you can do the same for your battles."

"I must warn you, Ash, that my Pokémon and I spent the last two years doing nothing but training. We're not holding back." Rylee said.

"Neither are we. If you don't mind, I'll have the first move. Pikachu, use Quick Attack!"

Pikachu lunged across the battlefield like a whizzing arrow as he sprinted toward Zoroark.

"Block it!"

Zoroark held up her arms in front of her face, and Pikachu barreled into her. Thrusting her arms away, Pikachu flew back and landed on his feet.

"Use Quick Attack to get in close, and then use Iron Tail!"

Once again, the distance between the two Pokémon closed quickly. It ran behind Zoroark as its tail shined like metal. It swung its tail into Zoroark's back. Zoroark cried out and flew forward, landing on one knee.

"That was cute." Rylee said, a smirk twitching at the corners of her mouth. "Zoroark, use Protect!"

Zoroark climbed back to her feet and thrust her right arm out to the side. The group watched the Protect form into a large sledgehammer of glistening green energy. Zoroark slung the hammer over her shoulder and glanced back at Pikachu with a mischievous smile. She rushed towards him and swung the hammer. Pikachu gasped, not having enough time to react, as the hammer slammed into his stomach. He went flying. Zoroark leaped after him.

"Pikachu, regain your balance and use Electro Ball!"

While Pikachu spiraled in the air, he managed to pull himself upright. Electricity emitted from his body, and he focused it into a ball that formed at the tip of his tail. He swung his body and threw the Electro Ball at Zoroark. Zoroark swung the sledgehammer. It hit the Electro Ball and sent it up and into the ceiling. The two Pokémon landed on the ground, with small pieces of the stone ceiling falling around them. Zoroark dispelled the Protect.

"Very nice, Ash. I can see you and Pikachu really have improved." Rylee said.

"Thanks. You and Zoroark sure have gotten a lot stronger since Unova." Ash said.

Rylee's smile faded, and dread settled in her stomach as she replayed her conversation with Chili. She clenched her fist to try and chase the scene away.

"Double Shadow Claw!"

Dark energy formed around Zoroark's paws like large claws. She rushed towards Pikachu.

"Counter with Iron Tail!"

Pikachu's tail shined like metal. Zoroark swung, but Pikachu countered. Rylee and Ash watched their Pokémon duel it out like a sword fight.

"Incorporate Thunderbolt into your next swing!"

Pikachu's Iron Tail met with one of Zoroark's Shadow Claws. As it did, Pikachu engulfed its body in electricity. It traveled through the Iron Tail and into Zoroark's body, and they were both consumed. Zoroark cried out and fell to one knee, allowing Pikachu to create some distance.

"Use Quick Attack!"

Pikachu sprinted towards Zoroark.

"Night Daze!"

Dark energy coiled from Zoroark's body, and she stood up and thrust her arms out to the side. The energy burst from her like an expanding dome. The energy smacked into Pikachu, knocking him off his feet. He tumbled across the battlefield.

"Use Shadow Claw!"

Zoroark sprinted towards Pikachu and raised her paw back as the dark energy form a razor-sharp claw. She struck down.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried.

"Zoroark, stop!" Rylee said.

Zoroark stopped, her Shadow Claw a few inches from Pikachu, and stepped back. Pikachu sighed in relief and flopped to the ground.

"This battle is over." Rylee said.

Ash sighed and smiled, placing a hand on his hip. "That was great. Thanks for battling me."

Rylee nodded absentmindedly and approached Ash. "You handled yourself well. You can really see how close you and Pikachu are by how you communicate in battles."

Ash's smile slowly faded as he nodded. "Rylee..." he said, carefully forming his words. "What happened after we said goodbye?"

Rylee folded her arms. "What do you mean?"

"When you began officially traveling with us, you said you were scared it would be just like Unova again. Alyssa asked me about you, but I couldn't answer because I didn't know."

Rylee looked away. "You weren't the only one I had to say goodbye to when our Unova journey ended." she said quietly.

Ash's eyes widened. "...Oh."

"Do you ever... think about our friends?"

Ash bowed his head. "Not as much as I should, I'm afraid. But ever since we started traveling together again, they've run across my mind more often. I... feel kind of bad. I feel like I'm the person who was least affected after we parted ways. Maybe because I've done it so much..." Ash lifted his eyes. "What about you?"

Rylee dropped her arms back to her sides. "It's all I can ever think about."

There was silence in the battlefield. Zoroark and Pikachu watched their trainers from the sidelines. Ash stepped closer to Rylee and threw his arms around her. Rylee recoiled in surprise.

"I'm sorry." Ash mumbled into her shoulder. "I wish there was something I could do."

Rylee smiled sadly from the sweet gesture, and she wrapped her arms around Ash's shoulders. "I don't know if there is..."

* * *

Clemont quickly walked down the hallway. He turned corners and returned to the main room of the Pokémon Center. He glanced around the room. Bonnie and Serena were still there, playing with their Pokémon. A new trainer conversed with Nurse Joy. Clemont hurried to the front door and went outside. He paused to take a deep breath before he resumed a more relaxed, yet determined walk.

"Chili." Clemont said.

Chili turned around and faced the young teenager. He noticed Clemont's fumbling hands as they hung at his side; whatever he wanted, he was very nervous to ask.

"Hello. You're Clemont, right?" Chili said.

"Yes. I... I wanted to ask you a question."

"Of course. What is it?"

"If Cilan still loves Rylee, why hasn't he done anything about it?"

Chili reeled back. "Oh, so I see you know about Cilan. Rylee's mentioned him to you before?"

"A few times..."

Chili sighed and placed his hands on his hips. "I've asked myself the same question. It's the reason I came here- because he _won't_ do anything. He's been so upset since he came home, I don't think he realizes that the only thing stopping him from going after what he wants is himself. I'm afraid, if nothing gets done, he and Rylee will wallow in their depression forever." Chili sighed again. "I tried to talk to Rylee and convince her to act, too. I think I sparked something, but it might fizzle out soon."

Clemont lightly clenched his fists and bowed his head. Chili placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I have to get going. May I ask, as my brother's keeper, if you'll look after Rylee? She's frustratingly difficult to cooperate with... but maybe you can get through to her."

Clemont watched Chili silently. Chili smiled and stepped away from him.

"I'll see you around. Enjoy your travels."

Chili waved and walked away from the Pokémon Center. Clemont watched the fiery-headed boy until he couldn't see him anymore. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his photograph from Geosenge Town. He stared at Rylee and her bright smile. The thought of there being any reason for that smile to disappear made his stomach churn. Clemont slipped the photograph back into his pocket and walked back towards the Pokémon Center.

* * *

~IRIS~

In the middle of the night, my eyes popped open. I sat up in bed and gasped as images washed over my eyes.

I saw Rylee standing in front of a small group of young people, one of them Ash. They watched her with curiosity and concern. They all stood on a path along a cliffside. Standing across from Rylee were a few people I didn't recognize. They all wore red suits and had matching red hair styled like fire. Red sunglasses shielded their eyes. One woman stood out from the others, with short purple hair and a visor across her eyes. Her red suit was styled differently than the others- perhaps to signify a higher rank.

Each side had their Pokémon summoned, and they glared each other down. Ash stepped forward, but Rylee held her arm out to stop him. She glanced back at him and the others. Her lips moved, but there was no sound.

 _"This is my mission."_ her lips read. She turned back to the group of red-suited people, and her eyes flared purple.

The images stopped abruptly, followed by a new wave of instability that pounded against my skull. I groaned and rubbed my temples.

Haxorus awoke and stood up. I held my hand out to keep him from getting any closer. I took deep breaths as I tried to direct this pent-up power. It trickled down my spine like a chill and spread to my limbs. Slowly, the pain in my head ceased, leaving me exhausted. I took a deep breath and laid back onto my pillow. Haxorus tilted his head. I smiled, reached out, and petted his snout.

"I'm figuring it out." I said. I closed my eyes as the vision of red-suited people danced in my head.


	32. An Old Friend

"Look! There they are!" Bonnie squealed as she hurried in front of us. She pointed excitedly at two green booths propped against a building. They had a blue roof with lightning bolts painted on. "Clemont, show them how it works!"

"Sure." Clemont said. "Dedenne, Pikachu, why don't you step inside?"

Dedenne and Pikachu scurried into the booth. Electricity poured out from the tubes and consumed the two mice Pokémon, and they chirped in delight.

"Wow, those look great!" Serena said.

"Clemont invented these things all by himself!" Bonnie said.

"You did?"

"Yeah. I called them 'Clemontic Showers'." Clemont said. He turned and looked to a large tower positioned in the center of the town. It wasn't as big or glamorous as Prism Tower, but it came at a close second. "It's been a while since I've been to this town, but I see it hasn't really changed."

"Clemont? Is that you?" We turned to see a young woman with long, blue hair and pale green eyes approaching us. She wore a white lab coat with a yellow button-up shirt, a long, dark orange skirt. black tights, and red sandals underneath.

"Miss Éclairisse! It's so great to see you!" Clemont said. He waved a hand over to us. "These are my friends: Rylee, Ash, Serena, and my little sister, Bonnie. I've been traveling around the Kalos region with them."

"That's great!" Éclairisse said. She crouched down to Bonnie's height. "So, you're Bonnie. Clemont used to tell me how cute and sweet you are. It's so nice to finally meet you!"

"Clemont's told me a lot about _you_! He always talked about how pretty and nice Miss Éclairisse is! I think he really, really likes you!" Bonnie said, getting down on one knee. "You're a keeper! Please take care of my brother!"

" _Bonnie_!" Clemont said.

"I'm a keeper?" Éclairisse said.

"Right! You're so smart, you'd be perfect for Clemont!" Bonnie said.

"That's enough, Bonnie!" Clemont cried, pulling her away from Éclairisse.

"I'm just trying to help you!"

"I don't need that kind of help!"

The rest of us laughed. Éclairisse cleared her throat.

"It's nice to meet all of you. I bet Clemont's told you about this school, huh?" she said.

"Actually, no." I said. "I mean, he didn't even tell us he was a Gym Leader."

"I guess it just slipped my mind." Clemont said. "You see, I used to go to this school when I was younger, and Miss Éclairisse was one of my teachers."

"The school is just down this path. Would you like to have a look?" Éclairisse said.

"Sure!" Ash said.

* * *

We passed through the iron gates and walked onto the campus. Small buildings surrounded the giant, main building. A large generator lay on the opposite side of the campus, with power lines connected to it and stretching out past the horizon. We passed by many students wearing white lab coats, nearly all of them carrying textbooks or interacting with Pokémon.

"Here at this school, trainers come from all over to learn all about Electric-type Pokémon." Éclairisse said. We passed by a couple of students feeding a Mareep and Flaaffy. We entered one of the small buildings. We watched a group of students experimenting with a Magneton. "Our students specialize in researching the biology and behaviors of Electric-type Pokémon. Their studies extend to Pokémon of other types as well. As part of this research, they learn all about how people and Pokémon can and should co-exist in harmony."

"That sounds awfully familiar." Ash mumbled beside me. I chuckled.

We sat at a table near a large pool.

"Many great trainers have gone on to be very successful after leaving this school..." Éclairisse said. "But Clemont is one of the most notable graduates of all."

"Of all? Come on, that seems like a bit of a stretch." Clemont blushed.

"No way! You're amazing! You're always coming up with incredible inventions that blow up in the end!" Bonnie said. Clemont sweatdropped while the rest of us giggled.

"I've heard they call you the 'Electric-type Whiz Kid' all around Lumiose City." Éclairisse said.

"Well, I know my father does a lot. After all, he's the one who advised me to come to this school." Clemont said. He cleared his throat and lowered his voice. "'Meet lots of Pokémon trainers and make lots of friends. Study hard and broaden your horizons.' He told me to do that, and off I went."

" _Too bad this school doesn't help you with your acting._ " Zoroark said. Clemont glared at her.

"Did his advice pay off?" Ash said.

"Yup. I made many friends with the other students and Pokémon... but all that studying and research was tough."

"The curriculum here is quite rigorous. Doing the work and making it to graduation is a great challenge to undergo." Éclairisse said.

"My graduation research was the peak of the difficulty."

"What did you research?" Serena said.

"I studied the power of Electric-type Pokémon and how the power of science can build the future."

"I remember you talking about that. You said you struggled with finding the right topic." Éclairisse said.

"Whenever I couldn't think, I always went out for walks to try and clear my head. One day I met a Shinx. It crawled out of the bushes, covered in wounds and exhausted, so I took it to the Pokémon Center. Nurse Joy told me that many Pokémon suffered like Shinx because they couldn't find a safe and easy place to absorb electrical energy. Because of Shinx, I came up with the idea for the Clemontic Showers." Clemont said.

"It was well-received by the school and the entire town."

"This is the first time I've heard you talk about Shinx." Bonnie said.

"It was a good friend of mine while I attended this school." Clemont said. "It's been a long time since I've seen it. I wonder how it's doing."

* * *

"This is the system control room I designed during my graduation research." Clemont said, leading us into the main room. People sat at a long computer board in front of a giant screen that almost reached from floor to ceiling.

"Welcome, Clemont!" one of the workers said as he approached us. "It's nice to have you here."

"Do you mind if I give my friends a tour of this place?"

"Sure, go ahead."

Sirens blared through the intercoms, and the room turned red from the flashing warning lights. Yellow hexagons covered the screen, all reading, "ERROR" in red letters.

"What's going on?!" the worker said to another, who typed furiously at a keyboard.

"There's a problem with the transmission cables near the transformer!" the second worker said.

"What are you referring to?" Clemont said.

"Well, uh... A wild Pokémon has been making its home there." the first worker said. "We've tried countless times to drive it out, but it becomes aggressive and attacks whenever we get near it."

"I'll go down and take a look." the second worker said.

"Please, let us come with you." Clemont said. "Miss Éclairisse, will you look after Bonnie while we go and check things out?"

"Of course. Good luck." Éclairisse said.

* * *

We headed to the back door of the building and down multiple flights of stairs. We hurried down the long, straight hallway.

"The entrance is just ahead." the worker said, pointing a flashlight in front of us to light our path.

We passed by a connecting hallway. As we did, we heard murmurings. We stopped and shined the flashlight into the hallway. Team Rocket yelped and shielded their eyes.

"We've been found out!" Jessie cried.

"We'd better skedaddle!" Meowth said. He hoisted a strange, backpack-like machine across his shoulders. The four of them scurried down the hallway and disappeared.

"They must be part of the cause of the problem." Ash said.

We heard a low growl, and we turned and saw a Luxio standing a few feet away.

"A Luxio?" Serena said. "This must be the Pokémon living down here."

Luxio jumped into the air and swept its tail toward us. Glowing stars of Swift flew towards us.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

The electricity smacked into the stars, cancelling it out.

"Hey, we're not your enemies!" the worker said. "The real bad guys went that way!"

Luxio paused for a moment before it ran past us. Clemont watched the Luxio as it ran by him. Luxio stopped and glanced back at Clemont. They locked eyes for several seconds.

"It's... you..." Clemont said, his eyes widening.

Luxio turned and continued down the hallway.

* * *

After reporting about Team Rocket's suspicious activity to Éclairisse and the other workers, we came to the Pokémon Center to stay for the night. Serena brushed Pancham and Fennekin while Bonnie played with Dedenne. Ash laid in the top bunk bed above Bonnie.

I approached Clemont, who stared intensely out the window. As my faint reflection appeared in the glass, he snapped out of his revere and focused on it. I rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Is something wrong?" I said.

"Well... I've been thinking a lot about Shinx." he said.

"I bet it's still here in this town." Ash said, poking his head out from the top bunk.

"After today, I'm sure of it now." Clemont said, turning his back to the window. "I never finished my story. Shinx and I had a regular meeting place, and the day before my graduation, I was on my way to go and thank it for its influence in my research. The mayor stopped me and told me they had arranged a special dinner to celebrate my accomplishments. I didn't want to leave without seeing Shinx, but I didn't really have a choice. I hurried back as soon as I could, but Shinx was already gone. I haven't seen Shinx again... until earlier today."

"You mean Luxio?" I said. "You think that was the Shinx you knew long ago?"

Clemont nodded. "When our eyes met, I saw it. My old friend." he said. He bowed his head. "But I broke my promise with it. When I didn't meet up with Shinx like I said I would, it probably thought I abandoned it. It... It probably wants nothing to do with me anymore."

I gasped quietly as I stared at the back of Clemont's head. The lights in the room shut down, leaving everything nearly pitch black. I glanced outside. The lights of the other buildings flickered repeatedly until, one by one, they went dark.

Footsteps entered the room. "Clemont!" A silhouette appeared, along with Éclairisse's voice. "A large amount of electricity has been drained from the system!"

"No doubt it's because of Team Rocket." Ash said, jumping down from the top bunk.

"We have to get to the main tower!" Clemont said.

* * *

As we ran down the path, we saw Team Rocket in the distance at the base of the tower. Jessie called out her Pumpkaboo and ordered it to use Shadow Ball at a leaping figure.

"Luxio!" Clemont cried.

The Shadow Ball hit Luxio in the face. It flew back and tumbled across the ground. Clemont knelt at its side.

"Team Rocket, we won't let you get away with this!" Ash said.

Luxio climbed back to its feet and charged towards Team Rocket. It opened its mouth as electricity crackled from it. It lunged.

"Inkay, Foul Play!"

Inkay flew towards Luxio, but dodged its Thunder Fang. It grabbed it with its tentacles and threw it to the ground.

"Pumpkaboo, Shadow Ball!"

"Pikachu, use Electro Ball!"

The two attacks hit, cancelling each other out with a cloud of smoke. We ran to Luxio.

"Don't push yourself." Clemont said as Luxio staggered to its feet and turned to Team Rocket.

" _No... I have to..._ " Luxio said.

"Why do you insist on fighting with Team Rocket?" Serena said.

" _Because..._ " Luxio growled at Team Rocket." _This is a town where people and Pokémon should live happily! It's my job to protect its future from bad guys like you!_ "

Clemont gasped. "My dream come true..." he whispered.

"How pompous!" James scoffed.

"Pumpkaboo, use Shadow Ball!"

"No!" Clemont cried. He raced towards Luxio and stood in front of it. The Shadow Ball hit his back, and the two tumbled across the ground.

"Clemont!" I cried. Sylveon wrapped her ribbon-like feelers around my arm to keep in my spot.

Clemont hoisted himself to his knees, covered in dirt and scratches. "I'm glad you're all right, Luxio."

Luxio stared at Clemont with shaking eyes. It stepped closer and licked his cheek. Clemont smiled and petted its head.

"Maybe, even after all this time, their friendship was still there deep down inside." I heard Serena behind me.

I rested a clenched, shaking fist against my heart. Sylveon looked up at me and rubbed her cheek against my leg. I turned sharply towards Team Rocket as my eyes grew hot from how intensely they flared purple. I thrust my hand out to the side and summoned a sword of Protect.

A hand gently gripped my wrist. I turned my head to meet Clemont's smile. He took the Protect from me.

"Leave this to us." he said. Luxio stood at Clemont's side and nodded to me.

I looked between the two and swallowed my anger. I nodded and dispelled the Protect, watching it disappear from Clemont's hand. I stepped back. Clemont and Luxio took a few steps towards Team Rocket.

"Luxio, use Discharge!"

Luxio threw its head back as electricity consumed its body. It flew in several directions, with a couple hitting Team Rocket. The backpack-like machine Meowth carried exploded, and Team Rocket blasted off into the skies.

* * *

We followed Luxio back to the manhole that led to the undergrounds, its makeshift home. Still battered from the fight, it slowly walked towards the hole. Clemont watched Luxio with knitted eyebrows.

He took a deep breath. "Luxio... Please wait." Luxio stopped and glanced over its shoulder. Clemont stepped closer. "I want you to come with me on my journey."

Luxio remained silent.

"I promised you that day to meet you... but I broke it. I'm sorry." Clemont said. "But now, _I'll_ be waiting for _you_. The same place, at the same time. If you decide to come with me, meet me in the square."

Without a word, Luxio jumped into the manhole. The city lights came back on, illuminating the streets.

* * *

Afternoon came, and there was still no sign of Luxio. We had been here at the Square since morning, and the waiting time stretched well into hours.

"I... don't think Luxio is coming..." Serena whispered.

"Maybe if we just wait a little longer..." Ash said.

"No." Clemont said, looking at us over his shoulder. "I guess Luxio still hasn't forgiven me. I understand. It's time for me to move on. Let's get going."

"But Clemont..." I said, holding a fist to my heart. "You can't throw your friendship away. What about the bond you two shared? It's not too late to fix everything."

Clemont smiled. "I guess there are some bonds that can't be retied."

The nearby bushes rustled. We turned and watched Luxio emerge from the shrubbery. It looked up and at Clemont.

Clemont's eyes trembled as tears filled them, clouding his clear blue irises. "Luxio... You came..." he said as tears streamed down his cheeks.

Luxio turned and smiled. " _You ready?_ "

Clemont nodded and pulled out a PokéBall. He tossed it at Luxio. It bounced off its head and sucked it inside the PokéBall. Three times it wiggled before it sealed. Clemont picked up the PokéBall and held it tightly.

"Way to go, Clemont!" Ash said, throwing his arm around his shoulders.

"Hooray! Now Dedenne's got a friend!" Bonnie said. Dedenne chattered excitedly.

While the others gathered around Clemont and his newly caught friend, I stood behind them with a smile. A thin pool of tears gathered in my eyes, and I wiped them away.

 _I'm proud of you, Clemont._

I watched Clemont pause midst the excitement. He turned, his tear-filled eyes finding me, and smiled.

 _Thanks, Rylee._

I gasped quietly. He heard me? That hasn't happened since...

I gulped. A single tear fell down my cheek, catching me by surprise. I smiled through it.


	33. Mega Evolution Special II

"Look, N, look!" Mairin tugged on my sleeve and pointed out the window. "There it is!"

I leaned closer to the window and watched the Hoenn region come into view. I only spent at least a day or two in Kalos, but now here I am region-hopping with two kids. I guess Rylee and I both have problems with sticking to our missions. Nevertheless, it was exciting to travel through other places besides Unova.

The wheels of the airplane screeched as they touched the runway. It gradually slowed, and once it was firmly in place, Mairin jumped from her seat, crawled over my legs, and hurried down the aisle, Chespie following closely behind. Alain, sitting in the row in front of me, stood and casually walked toward the door.

We stepped out into the new region air. A flock of Taillow and Swellow flew above us, and Mairin gushed over them.

"I'm so excited to be here! Let's get going right away!" Mairin cried. She ran down the steps, two at a time. At the last step, she lost her balance and fell onto the runway.

"May I remind you that you have no idea how to navigate through this region?" Alain said as we reached the bottom of the stairs. I helped Mairin stand. "Leave this to the adults."

Mairin pouted. "I'm not the only one who still acts like a kid." she mumbled.

I chuckled and patted her head. "Relax. We'll still get to see plenty of the Hoenn region while we're here."

* * *

Mairin skipped ahead of us down the mountain path. A thin fog blanketed the area.

"Don't wander off too far, Mairin." I called. "You don't want to get lost in this fog."

"I'll be fine, promise!" Mairin said, twirling around. Her foot wobbled, and she lost her balance. She tumbled over the side of the path and down the grass, leaving an imprint in the grass from her rolling. Alain glanced up from checking his Holo Caster and rolled his eyes. Mairin squirmed around, but her butt was wedged in between a broken tree. I covered my mouth and snickered. "It's not funny!"

 _"It kind of is."_ Chespie giggled.

"Somebody get me out of here!"

A silhouette emerged from the fog, reached out their hand, and pulled Mairin from the tree. "Are you all right?" they said, the distance making their voice faint.

Alain and I hopped onto the grass and slid down the hill. We approached Mairin, and I could see her mysterious hero. He was a grown man, perhaps in his late 30s, with pale blue hair and eyes, their color a slightly lighter shade than Alain's scarf, and he wore a black and midnight blue tuxedo with a red cravat. He had a few rings on his fingers, but the accessory that caught my attention was the steel flower stem clipped to the lapel of his jacket, and a Key Stone was tucked into the top.

"Are you all right, Mairin?" I said.

"Yeah, I'm fine. This is Steven, and he helped me." Mairin said. "These are my travel buddies, Alain, N, and Chespie."

Alain's eyes were focused on Steven's Key Stone. "I see you have a Key Stone."

Steven nodded and glanced at the Mega Ring around Alain's wrist. "You have one, too."

"Want to have a battle?"

"I may not look it, but I'm actually a busy man."

"This won't take long. If you're a Trainer, making eye contact is the signal to start a battle, right?"

Steven chuckled. "Very well. I accept."

Alain nodded. "N, Mairin, you may want to stand back."

We stepped closer to the foot of the hill. Alain called out Charizard and Steven called out his Pokémon, a Metagross.

"Whoa..." Mairin said, her brown eyes widening when she saw Metagross. "I've never seen a Metagross with that coloring."

"It's a shiny Pokémon." I said, examining Metagross's snow white armor. A rod of metal coiled around one of its legs, a Mega Stone fitted into the center.

"Steven's at a bit of a disadvantage. Steel-types are weak to Fire-types, right?"

"That may be so, but you shouldn't underestimate the strength of a Trainer. There's more to a Pokémon than their typing."

Alain Mega Evolved his Charizard. "Use Flamethrower!"

A column of blue fire shot from Mega Charizard's mouth and towards Metagross.

"Metagross, use Psychic!"

Metagross's eyes glowed blue, and it redirected the Flamethrower up and away. Steven removed the metal flower stem from his lapel and Mega Evolved his Metagross. It floated in the air, and its four legs jutted out in front of it.

"Use Flash Cannon!"

Mega Metagross collected its legs together as a ball of white energy formed. He launched the energy as a thick beam of steel power towards Mega Charizard. Mega Charizard thrust out its claws as the energy consumed it, redirecting some of the energy in different directions. The attack ended with a fiery explosion and a cloud of smoke. The smoke subsided, and Mega Charizard pushed itself up.

"Use Dragon Claw!"

Mega Charizard stretched out its wings and flew towards Mega Metagross. Thrusting its arms out to its sides, blue energy formed around its paws like claws, and it swung down and slammed it into Mega Metagross's head.

"Meteor Mash!"

Mega Metagross glowed white. It slammed its legs together and spun like a drill towards Mega Charizard. Blue energy consumed it, and it rammed into Mega Charizard's stomach, rocketing both Pokémon into the side of the mountain. The impact created a deep crater. Mega Metagross returned to Steven's side. Mega Charizard emerged from the pile of rocks and roared.

"Blast Burn!"

Blue flames consumed Mega Charizard's body, and it pounded its fist into the ground. The fire traveled underground, uprooting the dirt and rocks from their place as some of the searing hot flames shot through the cracks. the ground underneath Mega Metagross shattered, and Metagross was thrown into the air from the burst of volcanic heat. Mega Metagross was lost in the fire, followed by an explosion. Heat waves hit my face and my eyes began to water.

The smoke cleared. Mega Metagross floated proudly on the makeshift battlefield.

"It took that?" Alain said.

"Don't underestimate my Metagross." Steven said.

Alain growled. "Use Dragon Claw!"

"Use Meteor Mash!"

The two Mega Pokémon charged at each other. Mairin winced and covered her eyes. "Tell me when it's over!" she cried.

A column of Flamethrower cut through the trees and towards the battling Pokémon. They both noticed it and stopped their attacks, backing away as the fire zoomed past them.

Mairin uncovered her eyes. "What happened?"

As the flames died down, a Pyroar jumped down from the hill above us and stood between the Mega Pokémon. It growled at them, threatening to do worse if they continued this battle. Alain stared at the Pyroar as if he recognized it.

"I hope you don't mind if I interrupt your battle." a deep voice said. I turned around and looked up.

A man with orange hair, sticking up into the air and styled like fire, and pale blue eyes stood on the mountain path. He wore a black suit with red outlining the creases, black fingerless gloves, black boots, and a red cravat tucked into the fur lining of his jacket.

A cold sweat trickled down the back of my neck. The man walked down the hill and to Pyroar's side. He stroked Pyroar's head, allowing it to stand down. My eyes never left him.

"Who's he?" Mairin whispered. I placed a hand on her shoulder and stepped in front of her.

Lysandre: the head of Team Flare. I clenched my fist to calm my urges to act. _Just watch._

"Please excuse my insubordinate's rudeness... Champion." Lysandre said as he approached Steven.

 _Champion?_ I thought, but there was a bigger matter at hand. _Insubordinate?!_

"Champion?" Alain said.

Lysandre turned to Alain. "This man happens to be Steven Stone, the Hoenn region's League Champion."

"I'm sorry, but who are you?" Steven said.

"My apologies. An introduction slipped my mind." Lysandre bowed slightly to Steven. "My name is Lysandre. I'm the owner of Lysandre Labs located in the Kalos region."

I recognized Lysandre's voice. _"Your next destination."_ It was the same voice that guided Alain to fight the Mega Garchomp. Mairin had the same thoughts, and she whispered them to Chespie.

"It was I who advised Alain to look more into Mega Evolution." Lysandre continued.

My eyes widened. _Is... Is Alain_ working _for Lysandre?_ I looked over at the young boy. _Am I traveling with a member of Team Flare?_

"Excuse me." Mairin said as she approached Lysandre. I tried to grab her, but she slipped from my reach. "Are you the guy who calls Alain sometimes?"

"Mairin!" Alain hissed.

Lysandre smiled. "I see you aren't alone."

"My name's Mairin! This is Kalos' most awesome Pokémon, Chespie!" Mairin said.

 _"Hello!"_ Chespie said, but to everyone else, it was just a simple cry.

"We're traveling around with Alain. Over there is our other buddy, N!"

I folded my arms. Mine and Lysandre's eyes locked, and a chill rushed down my spine. I hardened into a glower.

"As long as I'm traveling with Alain, I'm gonna learn how to Mega Evolve!" Mairin said, catching Lysandre's attention again.

"I already told you, _you_ don't Mega Evolve, your Pokémon do." Alain grumbled, facepalming.

"Of course I knew that! It's been ingrained into my brain from your repetitive nagging!"

Alain rolled his eyes. "I have some things I need to discuss with Lysandre. Wait here with N."

Mairin huffed and stomped away. "I don't need to be babysat. I'm not a little kid!"

On cue, Mairin lost her footing and wedged herself into the broken tree again. Alain sighed and went to help her.

"So, you're interested in Mega Evolution?" Steven said to Lysandre. I bowed my head, but I tuned my ears in to the conversation.

"Yes. Lysandre Labs is interested in the energy Pokémon emit when Mega Evolving, and we're quite intent on gathering as much data on it as we can." Lysandre said.

"How are you gathering data?"

"Through the Mega Ring Alain wears. The energy produced through Mega Evolving is vast. We'd like to harness that energy for peaceful means."

My body tensed. _"Peaceful" means..._

"I see..." Steven said, lapping these lies up.

"By the way, Champion, do you know about this?" I lifted my eyes up and watched Lysandre activate his own Holo Caster, painted red instead of black. A hologram of a wooden tablet with strange markings on it appeared.

Steven leaned in closer, his eyes widening. "Is that...?"

"Hey, Alain," Mairin said, tugging Alain's sleeve to get his attention, "who's this Lysandre guy?"

"Someone very dear to me." Alain said.

"More than Professor Sycamore?"

Alain became lost in thought. I stared at the boy discreetly.

 _How did someone so young become involved in a crime syndicate?_ I thought. I paused. _Well, I was_ much _younger when Team Plasma took me. I guess age doesn't matter in terms of evil desires._

"Helloooo? Alain?" Mairin said, waving her hands in front of his face. Alain snapped out of his revere and focused on Mairin. "Lysandre's leaving."

Alain turned and met his eyes with Lysandre. He and Steven turned to return to the path. Alain and Mairin hurried to catch up.

"Let's go, N! You don't want to get lost in this fog!" Mairin called.

I unfolded my arms, reached up, and touched my locket. Aegislash's PokéBall rested next to it.

 _It looks like my mission has officially begun._

* * *

We entered some stone ruins inside Mt. Pyre. Steven retreated into a white tent set up nearby. Mairin and Chespie looked around, enraptured at the sight. She gripped my hand as we navigated through the ruins to ensure she wouldn't get lost or hurt.

However, traveling with the leader of Team Flare, you never know what could happen...

"Is this it, sir?" Alain said, looking up at a long, stone staircase leading to the tallest point of the ruins.

"Presumably." Lysandre descended the stairs, the rest of us following. An Aron used its head to push a block of stone, its loud grinding making my teeth ache.

Steven emerged from the tent with an electronic tablet. "I've been traveling in search of various stones. Since I learned about Mega Evolution, I've been trying to trace its roots. Midst my research, I found this."

Steven held out the electronic tablet to Lysandre. It had a picture of a wooden tablet, the same one Lysandre showed on his Holo Caster, yet the markings were slightly different.

"You found one as well?" Lysandre said, taking the tablet and examining the picture. Mairin hopped up and down to try and see the picture, but she was too short. "Fascinating... It's also about the Giant Rock. And what is written on that wooden tablet is what brought us to this region."

Lysandre pulled out his Holo Caster and showed us the hologram of the wooden tablet again.

"They look the same." Mairin said, tilting her head to try and read the strange markings.

"Not quite. There are several wooden tablets, and the contents of each are different." Steven said, showing the two wooden tablets side by side. "If we exchange information, we'll get closer to finding the answer."

"Yes. Sharing our information can only help." Lysandre said.

"According to my tablet, the legendary Giant Rock the ancient people kept was located right here. I've analyzed the data, and the path that leads to the Giant Rock is to start from a gate."

"My tablet says the key to opening the gate is the light from two stones. It also says the path will reveal itself when they come together."

"The _Key_ Stone. That's it!" Steven said, glancing at his Key Stone. Lysandre nodded, and we climbed the staircase. A mysterious design was carved into the rock, and two pillars stood on both sides of the design.

"We're up really high..." Mairin whimpered, looking below. Her fingernails dug into my palm.

"Don't worry. I won't let you fall." I said, patting her hand.

"Alain, you take one side and I'll take the other." Steven said.

Alain nodded, and he touched one pillar. Steven touched the other. A bright light emitted from their Key Stones. Light filled into the carvings on the pillars, and the ground beneath us was consumed with light. A staircase of rainbow light formed on the edge of the rock, and it traveled up into the sky and towards the mountain.

"This is incredible!" Steven marveled. "Thank you, Lysandre. If it weren't for you coming here, I'd be searching in dead ends. I'm so grateful to you."

"No, _I'm_ grateful." Lysandre said. I glared at his orange mane. "Now, shall we get going?"

We began our climb through the air. As we climbed higher, we reached into the clouds, and the area was covered with their foamy white material, thicker than the fog below. Once we broke through the clouds, we saw a giant civilization that covered the top of the mountain. We walked through the abandoned ruins, no sign of people or Pokémon wandering around. We entered the largest building in the center of the civilization.

"This is it." Steven said, looking around. "The Giant Rock should be here somewhere."

A monument near the giant, concaved pedestal in the center of the room captured his attention. He jogged over and ran his fingers across the markings on it.

"'Hold up two different Keys to the two altars.'" Steven read. He stood up. "There's no doubt about it; the Giant Rock is here! Alain, please search the other altar."

Alain nodded and walked to the altar opposite of Steven. They both touched the stone orbs at the top of the altars, and their Key Stones shone once again. Purple markings glowed along the walls of the decaying building, and Mairin traced them with awe-filled eyes. The light filled the carvings on the floor, and the center of the pedestal separated. The Giant Rock, a tall, glowing mass of stone, emerged from the hole and floated in the air. The altars sunk into the ground, the hole in the pedestal closed, and the light in the carvings around the room faded.

"The legendary Giant Rock! We found it!" Steven cried.

"The source of Mega Evolution." Lysandre said.

Alain held up his Mega Ring. His Key Stone still shimmered. "My Key Stone is reacting to it."

Lysandre pulled out his Holo Caster. A hologram of a person appeared. "This is Lysandre. We found it."

"We already have your location pinpointed, sir. We'll be there soon." the man said.

 _"Wow..."_ Chespie said, waddling towards the Giant Rock.

"No, Chespie! It's dangerous!" Mairin cried, scooping Chespie into her arms.

 _"But it's so pretty!"_

The air picked up, and we lifted our eyes. A black helicopter hovered above us, blocking out the sun above. I clenched my fists. The helicopter landed outside. A hatch opened in the back and several black vans drove down the ramp and into the ruins. Scientists filed into the room and set up long tables and computers. They typed furiously away, almost never looking anywhere besides their screens or the Giant Rock. A few crew members set up other machines. The panels on them opened like blooming flowers, and they powered on. Blue beams shot from the tips of the machines and hit the Giant Rock.

"What are you doing?" Steven said.

"We're analyzing what the Giant Rock's made of. After all, this is a very important find." Lysandre said, his arms firmly folded across his chest.

Energy pulsed from the Rock, the first wave knocking Mairin off her feet. Alain jogged over to one of the scientist and looked over his shoulder and at his screen.

"The light's energy radiates at the same level as a Mega Stone!" he said.

"Yes, but it's heat far surpasses that of a Mega Stone." the scientist said.

A fifth time, the Giant Rock emitted another powerful wave of energy. Dark clouds appeared in the sky, completely out of nowhere, and consumed the sun in a matter of seconds. Lightning flashed behind the dark purple clouds.

"What's happening?!" I said. I turned to Lysandre. "What did you do?!"

A figure broke through the clouds. A fierce roar sliced through the air.

"R-Rayquaza?!" Steven gasped as the Legendary Pokémon circled through the air above us.

"Lysandre, the Giant Rock's internal pressure is rising more than we thought!" a scientist called over his shoulder.

The markings on Rayquaza's body glowed gold. The Giant Rock's pulsing increased, and the time between decreased. Light engulfed Rayquaza for several seconds. When the light subsided, Rayquaza had Mega Evolved.

"Rayquaza can Mega Evolve, too?" Steven said.

"No way..." Alain whispered.

"But it is possible." Lysandre said.

I watched Rayquaza slither across the sky. Its small red eyes glowed menacingly.

"We have to get out of here. Now!" I cried.

Mega Rayquaza threw back its head as energy collected in its mouth.

"Look out!" Alain said.

Mega Rayquaza fired a Dragon Rush the size of its body. It struck the ground, uprooting technology and machines from their place and incinerating them on the spot. Scientists and security scrambled for safety.

"It appears we've angered Rayquaza." Lysandre said.

"Angered is an understatement. If you hadn't dug your nose into business that isn't yours..." I said.

Lysandre turned to me. "You watch your tongue, boy. You have no idea who you're talking to."

"Are you sure about that?"

Lysandre scowled. We stared at each other for several seconds. I finally broke away and ran to Mairin, who clutched Chespie close to her.

"W-What's going to happen?" she said.

"Don't worry. I'll protect you." I said. I lifted Mairin to her feet and brought us closer to the wall. I reached underneath my jacket and detached Aegislash's PokéBall from next to my locket. "Aegislash!"

I threw the PokéBall into the air and it opened. Aegislash floated in front of me and turned to me.

"Not right now." I said, my voice low. I couldn't go full Pokémon Guardian right now; it's way too dangerous. "But I'll still need your help protecting Mairin."

Mairin watched Aegislash with quiet wonder. Aegislash glanced at her and nodded to me. In the center of the room, Alain and Steven called out Charizard and Metagross and had them Mega Evolve.

"Use Flamethrower!"

Mega Charizard flew up and above Mega Rayquaza. It launched a column of blue flames. Mega Rayquaza dodged the Flamethrower, coiling around it as it flew up to Mega Charizard. It rammed into it as it passed by.

Alain's eyes widened. "Charizard, watch out!"

Mega Rayquaza's body glowed green and it dove towards Mega Charizard at blinding speeds. It rammed into it once again, creating a giant explosion. Mega Charizard began to freefall.

"Dragon Ascent." I gasped.

"Will they be okay?" Mairin said, hugging my leg. I patted her head.

"Metagross, catch Charizard!"

Mega Metagross flew up and caught Mega Charizard. Mega Rayquaza flew by them, knocking its body into them. They both fell. Mega Rayquaza roared and lifted its head up as orange energy pulsed in its mouth. It shot a ball of the energy for Draco Meteor into the air. It exploded into multiple meteors that fell towards the earth. Mega Metagross and Mega Charizard navigated through the falling pieces of smoldering rock. One piece of rock exploded next to us, and I wrapped my arms around Mairin to shield her. Flaming pebbles hit my back, and I cried out as they burned my skin.

"N! Mairin!" Alain called, but the crashing rocks nearly drowned out his voice.

"N! Are you okay?!" Mairin said.

"I'm fine..." I winced. The rocks continued to fall. "Aegislash, use Protect!"

A dome of Protect covered Mairin and I, shielding us from the flying flames. A giant rock fell on top of us, shattering when it met the Protect. Aegislash winced from the impact.

"Hang on, Aegislash!" I called.

Mega Rayquaza let out one last screech before it flew away. The dark clouds parted, and the sun and blue sky returned. Aegislash dispelled the Protect and slumped against the wall.

"Thank you, Aegislash." I said. I returned it to its PokéBall. The burns on my back flared up, and I groaned.

"N!" Mairin said. Chespie jumped out of her arms and rested a paw on my leg.

"Are you two all right?" Alain said, jogging over to us.

"N's hurt! We need to get to a Pokémon Center!"

I stood up straight, wincing through the pain. I looked at Alain, who clutched his shoulder. "I see you're not in good shape either."

"You try fending off against a Legendary Pokémon." Alain said.

I chuckled. _I already have._

"The Giant Rock... It's gone." Steven said. We turned to the center of the room, which was not a gaping hole that nearly covered the entire floor, save the section near the walls. "Could it and Rayquaza be connected somehow?"

Lysandre tucked his Holo Caster away and approached us. "Energy waves, similar to the Giant Rock, have been detected in Rustboro City." he said to Alain. "We'll continue our research. Alain, I'd like you to head to Rustboro City and investigate there."

"I'll join you." Steven said, placing a hand on Alain's bad shoulder. Alain winced, and Steven lifted his hand. "I'll arrange for us to be picked up when we get to a Pokémon Center. Let's go."

Mairin glanced back at Alain as we turned and headed for the exit.

"Alain... One more thing..." Lysandre called over my shoulder. The rest of his words were hushed to whispers, and I could no longer hear them.

* * *

"There you go!" Nurse Joy said, stepping back. "The medicine I applied should have your burns all healed in the next few days. Avoid making any sudden movements so the gauze doesn't rub the skin and worsen your injuries."

"Thank you, Nurse Joy." I said, standing up and slipping my shirt and jacket on. I left the hospital room and headed down the hallway. Along the way, I passed by a video phone booth.

I paused and looked back. I remembered receiving a message on my way to Hoenn about Rylee trying to contact me. I think she said she would be in Shalour City next. I returned to the video phone booth and turned it on.

" _Hello! How may I help you?_ " said the Shalour Pokémon Center's Nurse Joy.

"I believe someone named Rylee should be stopping by there soon. When she comes, will you let her know her brother is waiting for her to call? She owns a shiny Sylveon." I said.

" _Sure thing!_ "

"Thank you."

The screen went black, and the word 'HOLD' shone on the center of the screen. I stepped back and leaned against the wall, cautious with placement to avoid putting pressure on my burns.

 _I can't believe Team Flare's boss is here..._ I thought, folding my arms. _And Alain is his assistant? How did this happen? Does Alain know about Team Flare? Is he helping willingly?_

The dial tone chirped from the phone booth. I straightened and returned to it. The screen lit up with Rylee's face. As it came into focus, I noticed something deep in her eyes. It was faint, but it was still there- a little twinkle. There was a sparkle that I hadn't seen in many years, and something my parents had missed for a long time. In these past few months, something had changed inside my sister.

" _Hi, N._ " she said. " _Why are you calling me?_ "

"Dad told me you were trying to reach me. He said you'd be in Shalour City, so I've been waiting until you came." I said. "So, what's up?"

" _Dad said you were sent on a mission a few weeks ago, and that's why I couldn't reach you before. What's the mission?_ "

"Oh..." I paused. I couldn't tell Rylee about investigating Team Flare, too. She'd probably assume Dad thought she wasn't capable enough to take on this mission alone. I didn't want her to worry about me, either. If she found out I got hurt after confronting a Mega Evolved, Legendary Pokémon, she'd probably hightail it over here. "Nothing too major. When you called me, I must've been on my way to my location. I'm in another region now."

" _Which one?_ "

"Well, we just arrived in the Hoenn region not too long ago."

"Hey, N!" Mairin scrambled down the hallway and pushed her way up to the video screen, shoving her face into the camera. The top half of her face filled the bottom half of the screen. I sweatdropped. "Who are you talking to?"

" _Oh... Hello._ " Rylee said. " _Who's this?_ "

Mairin took a step back next to me so her entire face came into view. "Hi, my name is Mairin!" she said. "I've been traveling around with N!"

" _It's nice to meet you, Mairin._ "

"This is my sister, Rylee." I said.

Mairin's eyes lit up. "Oh, so _you're_ his sister! You're traveling with a boy named Ash, right?"

Rylee flinched. " _Um... yes. How do you know Ash?_ "

"She saw the news report of Garchomp." I said. "It's pretty popular news, I guess."

Rylee sighed and rubbed her temples. " _Oh, boy... I guess my one-hit wonder's not the only thing that's rising me to fame._ "

I raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Rylee chuckled. " _Nothing. Hey, Mairin, how's N handling himself?_ "

"Great! He's been a real friend!" Mairin said, latching onto my arm. "More than Alain has."

" _Who's Alain?_ "

"He's the other boy we're traveling with. He's not very nice, though."

"He has his reasons, Mairin. Although they're very questionable..." I said. My expression fell as I thought of the assistant to Team Flare's boss. Rylee watched me curiously. I patted Mairin's shoulder. "Head to the front. I need to talk to Rylee."

Mairin nodded and scurried down the hallway. I waited until she had turned the corner before I turned back to the screen.

"How's Kalos treating you?" I said.

" _It's nice to travel with Ash again._ " Rylee said. " _We're traveling with some other kids, too. Their names are Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie._ "

"Clemont? You mean the Lumiose City Gym Leader?"

Rylee paused and nodded. " _Bonnie's his little sister. How did you know that?_ "

"A fifteen-year-old Gym Leader isn't something you see every day."

Rylee smiled. " _True. He's got some real talent._ "

In her eyes, the sparkle shimmered just a little brighter. I raised my eyebrows as I watched Rylee's face light up at the mention of Clemont. It was a surprising, yet pleasant thing to see.

" _Ash just won his third Gym Badge. We're heading to the next Gym in the morning._ " Rylee continued.

"Which Gym?" I said.

" _The one in Coumarine City._ "

I nodded and smiled. "Ash is always set on his goals."

" _Yeah. I should head back to the others. It was nice talking to you. Keep your ears peeled in case I'd like to talk again._ "

"I'll do my best. I'll see you later."

" _Bye._ "

I pressed the 'end call' button, and the screen went black. I exhaled deeply, walked down the hallway, and entered the main room. Alain sat near the window, and Mairin laid on the floor and played with Chespie.

"How are you feeling?" Alain said, his arms folded.

"Much better. I'll be completely healed in a few days. I just had to stop and give my sister a call." I said.

Alain nodded and returned his gaze to the window for a few more moments. He stood up.

"We should get going to Rustboro City. Steven's waiting outside for us." Alain said.

Mairin scrambled to her feet, and she and Chespie hurried out the door and to the van parked outside the Center, which would drive us to the helicopter we would take to Rustboro City.

"Alain," I said as the boy headed for the door. He stopped and turned around, "why are you working for Lysandre?"

"Why do you ask?" Alain said.

"I'm just curious as to how you got the chance to help out someone as corporately involved as him."

Alain shrugged. "Well... He's the one who gave me the Charizardite. He told me that if I want to be a good Trainer, I must be the strongest. So, I set off on my goal- to battle against every Mega Evolved Pokémon out there and stand at the summit."

I stared at Alain; there was obviously _much_ more he wasn't telling me. But I was wise not to push him anymore, knowing he'd shut me out if I tried to pressure him.

"It's interesting that you know Lysandre. I, uh... hope your business with him goes well."

"Thanks. Let's go." Alain turned his back to me and headed for the door. I sighed and followed.


	34. Prepping for Performance

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

 **I forgot to mention this last week, but Silent Knight reached 10,000 views! Thank you all so much for your support of this story! I couldn't have done it without you!**

 **Happy reading!**

* * *

The five of us and our Pokémon sat on a large white and red picnic blanket. Zoroark and Sylveon sat on both sides of me and nibbled their Pokémon food.

"How's your food?" I said, sipping water from a cup.

" _It's the best I've had all day!_ " Sylveon said, stretching her ribbon-like feelers to the skies.

"I made sure that each bowl of food had the right combination of berries preferable to each Pokémon and their nature." Clemont said. "For example, I made Sylveon's food with Pecha berries to give it a sweet flavor, and I made Zoroark's food with Rawst berries to give it a bit of a bitter flavor."

"How fitting." I snickered. Zoroark swatted my ear with her tail.

"I don't think I can eat another bite." Ash said, laying back and patting his full stomach.

Serena picked up her wicket basket. "How about we end this meal with some PokéPuffs? I made plenty for all of us."

Our Pokémon chirped in excited agreement. Serena opened the basket, but there was nothing inside save some crumbs.

"Huh?!" Serena said. "What happened to my PokéPuffs?!"

On cue, Chespin walked passed us.

"Chespin." Clemont called. Chespin stopped, his back to us. "Turn around."

Slowly, Chespin turned around. His cheeks bulged like a chipmunk's, and he struggled to keep his mouth closed from all the PokéPuffs jammed in there. He swallowed them down.

"Not again!" Serena sighed.

" _Hey! Those were for all of us!_ " Pancham said.

" _Well, you can have them back... in a few hours._ " Chespin said.

Pancham growled and shoved Chespin. Chespin stumbled back and caught his balance. He scowled and slapped Pancham in the arm. They grabbed at each other and wrestled in the grass.

"Hey, knock it off!" Clemont said as he and Serena hurried to separate their Pokémon.

"You two are supposed to be friends! Now apologize!" Serena said. They responded with punching each other in the arm.

"Now you're just being mean. Stop this right now and make up!"

" _I'll apologize when he learns not to devour every PokéPuff in sight!_ " Pancham said.

" _And_ I'll _apologize when_ he _stops being a jerk!_ " Chespin said. " _Besides, Pancham, you don't need any more PokéPuffs. You're starting to look a little pudgy!_ "

" _Why, you...!_ " Pancham lunged for Chespin, but he jumped out of the way.

" _This is intense._ " Zoroark said. " _I'm betting on Pancham._ "

" _I don't know. I think Chespin's got a better shot._ " Sylveon said.

" _Are you kidding me? If Pancham was a girl and Chespin called him fat, he'd be a pile of shredded leaves right now._ "

Pancham lunged at Chespin again, this time grabbing him, and they tumbled through the bushes nearby.

"Hey!" a voice called past the bushes. "What do you think you're doing to my Pokémon?!"

"Oh, boy..." Serena said, and she and Clemont hurried ahead to assess the situation.

" _Well, Pancham dealt the last move, so I say he wins._ " Zoroark said. " _You owe me five dollars._ "

" _I do not!_ " Sylveon said.

" _Fine, then. Perhaps a bowl of Rawst berries. Since apparently I'm so bitter..._ "

"You said it, not me." I said, standing up and joining the others. I peeked over the bushes and saw a young girl standing with a Farfetch'd and a Smoochum. She had dark green hair tied into pigtails and brown eyes. She wore a white blouse, a yellow bolero over it, an orange skirt that ballooned out slightly, white ankle socks, and pink Mary Janes. She also wore white gloves, a small, pink hat, a pink bow tie, and a light pink over-the-shoulder bag.

"Hey, you!" the girl called to Serena and Clemont, her hands planted firmly on her hips. "Are these two ill-mannered brats your Pokémon? They attacked mine for absolutely no reason!"

"We're so sorry!" Clemont said as we cross through the bushes.

"Pancham, apologize right now!" Serena hissed. Chespin and Pancham muttered their apologies.

"Whatever. It's fine." the girl said with a scoff. She bent down to her Pokémon. "Now, let's keep getting ready for the Pokémon Showcase!"

"Pokémon Showcase? You know, I'm planning on entering it as well."

"Really?!" the girl said, getting in Serena's face.

"Uh... Yeah..." Serena leaned back to create more distance.

"This is great!" The girl pulled out a small mirror and fixed her lip gloss. "This is my first time participating in a Showcase, and I can't get any feedback from performing by myself. Will you watch and tell me what you think?"

"I don't think I know enough to judge someone's performance. I'm a rookie as well."

"It's all right. I'd still like you, as well as your friends, to give me feedback. It'll help us a lot!"

"All right, then. My name is Serena."

"It's nice to meet you! My name is Nini!"

We sat back on a couple of rocks. Nini and her Pokémon stepped back, the grassy field as their stage.

"Smoochum, use Powder Snow!"

Smoochum leaped and spun around in the air as a fog swirled up. Fake snow fell from the skies and around the three performers. They posed for a few seconds. Smoochum broke away and danced around.

"Go, Farfetch'd!" Nini said as she spun around.

Farfetch'd twirled its leek stalk into the air and flew after it. It slashed it into the cloud producing the Powder Snow. The cloud dispersed, and sparkles rained down. Nini flattened her back so Farfetch'd landed on it, and it front flipped to the ground and posed next to Smoochum. Nini cartwheeled over her Pokémon and posed.

"Smoochum, Heart Stamp! Farfetch'd, Fury Cutter!"

Smoochum brought its hands to its big lips and blew a kiss, producing a large pink heart that flew into the air. Farfetch'd followed the heart and sliced it into several pieces using its leek stalk. The heart burst into tiny pink particles. The three performers posed in a crouch.

"That was great!" Serena said as she and the rest of us applauded.

"The theme is called 'Heartbreak'." Nini said, wiping a tear away. Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie sweatdropped. "Now, tell me, is there something I need to fix?"

"Well... Perhaps you could coordinate their dance just a little bit more."

Nini pulled out a small notebook and a Smoochum pen. She jotted down the notes.

"Also, it'd be cool if you could make Smoochum's Heart Stamp a little flashier." Ash said.

"All right..." Nini said, writing away. She gasped and looked up from her notebook. "Hey, Serena, could you show me your performance?"

"Oh, well... I'm not really ready to show it to people yet..." Serena said.

"I want to see your routine! Pretty please?" Bonnie said. Serena sighed in defeat.

Chespin sprinted across the grass and headbutted Pancham.

" _Hey! What was that for?!_ " Pancham said. Chespin turned away and folded his arms.

"It's like taking care of a child..." Clemont sighed.

"Hey, Chespin, would you like to be a part of my performance?" Serena said.

" _Oooh, can I?_ " Chespin said.

"Sure thing! I know just what you can do!"

Clemont smiled crookedly and hopped to his feet. "So do I!" He marched over to Chespin, the sun reflecting off his glasses.

" _Uh, oh..._ " Chespin said.

"The future is now, thanks to science!" Clemont pulled a female Chespin robot from his backpack. It wore a pink dress, had big, pink lips, and its antennae were shaped like a bow. "I made this machine for precisely a moment like this! Presenting my "Only Lonely Dancing Robo-Partner"!"

"Thank goodness Chespin isn't Clemont's child." Bonnie sweatdropped. "I'd hate to see what he'd name it."

Clemont switched the robot on using a remote control. "All right, Chespin. Since you want to dance so badly, now you can move to your heart's content with this robot as your companion."

The robot approached Chespin. It latched onto his wrist and wrapped the other arm around his waist. It pulled him close and began to spin him around.

" _He-e-ey!_ " Chespin cried as he spiraled around in circles. " _I think I'm gonna be sick!_ "

The robot slammed Chespin into the ground. Smoke billowed from its head and back. It yanked Chespin back to his feet and continued to spin.

"I think something's wrong with it." I said.

" _No surprise there._ " Zoroark said.

" _TURN IT OFF!_ " Chespin cried as the robot whipped him around in the air like a lasso.

"I will... as soon as I find the off switch!" Clemont said, mashing every button on his remote control.

The robot spun faster and faster until it finally exploded. Chespin flew out from the smoke, covered in black soot, and landed in front of us.

"Uh... Sorry, Chespin." Clemont said, scratching the back of his head. The remote control fell to pieces at his feet.

A few feet away, Pancham covered his mouth with his paw and snickered. Chespin looked up and growled.

* * *

"Now it's our turn." Serena said, switching spots with Nini and taking the field. She took a deep breath. "Let's do this!"

Fennekin and Pancham faced Serena and jumped towards her. Serena held out her arms, and they each landed on one. Serena thrusted her arms up, and her Pokémon jumped into the air.

"Fennekin, use Flamethrower!"

Fennekin spun while using Flamethrower, creating a spiral of fire. Pancham somersaulted inside the spiral, the movement making his glasses slip in front of his eyes. Pancham landed at Serena's side and Serena reached out and caught Fennekin briefly before she hopped to the ground. They spun around and danced for a few moments.

"Pancham, use Dark Pulse! Fennekin, use Flamethrower!"

Pancham jumped into the air and unleashed a Dark Pulse. Fennekin's Flamethrower spiraled around the Dark Pulse before meeting it at the top. The combined moves exploded in fiery sparkles that fell to the ground like the aftermath of fireworks. The three bowed.

"Wow! Your performance was amazing!" Nini said. She stood up. "Although, it looks like Pancham's acrobatics didn't quite fit with the rest of the performance."

"Really?" Serena said.

"Pancham's movements were swift and strong, but they didn't really... mesh with what you and Fennekin were doing." Clemont said.

Smoochum approached Pancham and nuzzled up next to it. Pancham sweatdropped and back away from Smoochum's puckered lips.

"Smoochum? Do you have a crush on Pancham?" Nini said, approaching Smoochum. Chespin's eyebrow twitched. "I think they make a cute couple!"

" _Cute is not what I had in mind..._ " Pancham said. " _Or couple, for that matter..._ "

"I think the two of them should dance together! What do you say?" Nini said.

"Um... Pancham, what do you say?" Serena said.

" _If it means getting this thing away from me._ " Pancham said.

"All right! Let's get moving!" Nini said.

The two of them began their routine. Farfetch'd and Chespin watched from the sidelines with scowls. I must say, they were very coordinated. Pancham looked past his disgust and focused more on the thrill of dancing. They finished their dance with a pose.

"That was awesome!" Serena clapped. "You two were wonderful!"

"Just like I thought you'd be!" Nini said, scooping Smoochum into her arms. "How about trading Pancham for one of my Pokémon?"

"Trade?!" Serena said.

"What _?!_ " Pancham cried.

" _What?!_ " Farfetch'd said, dropping its leek stalk in shock.

" _That sounds like a_ great _idea!_ " Chespin said, shoving Pancham towards Nini.

" _Who asked you?!_ " Pancham said, smacking Chespin in the cheek. Chespin tried to strike back, but Pancham planted his paw on his forehead, keeping him at an arm's length.

"Chespin, cut it out." Clemont said, picking up Chespin and taking a few steps back. He sighed.

Serena picked up Pancham. "Sorry, Nini, but I don't plan on trading Pancham or any of my Pokémon away."

Pancham turned to Chespin and stuck his tongue out. Chespin growled and squirmed in Clemont's arms. Farfetch'd sighed in relief and swiped a wing across its drenched forehead.

"After watching those two perform, I learned how important dance choreography is."

"It really is!" Nini said.

A white limo burst through the bushes and zoomed past up, kicking up dust and wind. It screeched to a stop, and the doors opened. Three people piled out.

One of them, a man with short purple hair, blew a bubble and popped it. "We heard you kids are interested in Pokémon performance."

"Uh... Yeah..." Serena drawled.

"Perfect! Meet La Grandum Breaulay, the cream of the choreographer crop!"

The female, with magenta hair piled on top of her head, took off her glasses and posed. Clemont and I glanced knowingly at each other.

"I've never heard of you before." Serena said.

"Then you must've been living under a rock! She's choreographed countless Pokémon performances and created dozens of queens!" James said. Meowth bobbed around at their feet.

"En route to my next job, I saw two dancing Pokémon out of the corner of my eye and knew I had to stop!" Jessie said.

"We're struggling with choreography for our next performance. Could you help us out?" Nini said.

"Um, I think we can figure things out by ourselves..." Serena said.

"Nonsense! If you want to be the best of the best, you've got the learn from the bestest!" Jessie said. James opened a briefcase, and a large purple ball inflated from it. "Now, I want you to perform in this bubble. One at a time, please!"

I rolled my eyes. Zoroark hopped down from my shoulder and approached the bubble. She lifted one paw, extracting her claws, and swiped it across the bubble. It popped, slapping Team Rocket with the purple fabric.

" _Sorry, I sneezed._ " Zoroark said.

"You little twerpette!" Jessie cried. "I'm sick of you foiling our plans!"

"And _I'm_ sick of you being an inconvenience." I said. "Don't you have anything better to do than follow a group of children around?"

"That does it! Inkay, use Psybeam!"

James tossed a PokéBall into the air and called out Inkay. Inkay launched a beam of psychic energy at us. We jumped out of the way except for Farfetch'd and Smoochum. The Psybeam hit them, and they fell to the ground.

"Smoochum! Farfetch'd!" Nini said.

" _Don't worry, I'll take care of this!_ " Pancham said, standing in front of everyone.

" _No, I'll do this!_ " Chespin said, standing in front of Pancham.

" _Leave this to me!_ "

" _No, let me do it!_ "

" _No, me!_ "

"The _both_ of you will take care of this!" Serena cried. "All of this fighting is completely pointless! You're both acting like little children!"

Pancham and Chespin glanced at each other.

"You guys are supposed to be friends. Friends aren't supposed to fight with each other." Clemont said.

"All this mushiness brings a tear to my eye." Jessie said. "Pumpkaboo, Shadow Ball!"

Pumpkaboo launched the Shadow Ball towards Chespin. Pancham jumped in front of him and swung into the Shadow Ball using Arm Thrust. The Shadow Ball flew back and hit Inkay.

" _Thanks..._ " Chespin said.

Pancham smiled. " _No problem. Now, are you going to stand there or are you going to help me?_ "

Chespin returned the smile and stepped to Pancham's side.

"Should we call a move?" Serena whispered.

"No. They need to work together." Clemont said.

"Inkay, use Tackle!"

Inkay lunged at the two. Chespin hopped onto Pancham's back and leaped into the air. He wrapped his vines against two nearby trees and slingshot himself towards Inkay, headbutting him on impact.

"Use Dark Pulse!"

Pumpkaboo attacked, but Pancham countered with his own Dark Pulse.

"Shadow Ball!"

Pancham and Chespin charged towards Inkay and Pumpkaboo, dodging the shower of Shadow Balls. They jumped into the air, and Pancham grabbed Chespin's arm and spun him around to gain momentum. He let go and launched him towards Pumpkaboo. Chespin wrapped his vines around Pumpkaboo and threw it into Inkay. Pancham used Dark Pulse, hitting the enemy Pokémon. They crashed into Team Rocket, and they blasted off into the sky.

"Great job, Pancham and Chespin!" Serena said. "You guys were awesome!"

"See? You guys really were friends all along." Ash said.

" _You know, it was all because of my strategy._ " Pancham said.

" _Wrong! It was because I had enough strength for the both of us and more!_ " Chespin said.

The two growled at each other and got into a slap fight.

"I don't think this is ever going to end..." Clemont said.

"Both of you stop it, _right now_!" Serena cried.

"I think all this fighting just shows how good of friends they are." Ash said.

* * *

"It was wonderful to meet you all." Nini said.

"I hope you do great at the Pokémon Showcase!" Serena said.

"You, too!" Nini and Serena shook hands. "Although... Since we'll eventually end up competing in the same Showcase, I guess that makes us rivals."

"It sure does. Best of luck to you."

"You, too! See you all later!"

We waved to Nini until she disappeared into the sunset.


	35. Paradise Heist

"I overheard from a few people in town that there are rumors about a UFO sighting nearby." Serena said.

"A UFO? Where'd they say it went?" Bonnie said.

"In a place called Grace Tower. It's just up this path. Over there!" Serena pointed to a rock formation that rose above the trees.

"Just to be clear with what you said, those people were only discussing _rumors_. There's no scientific evidence to back up their words." Clemont said.

"Ash and I have seen a UFO before." I said. "A bunch of Beeheyem crash landed on the island and lost their power supply. Everyone in the nearby town except for us and Team Rocket had the face of a Beeheyem."

"Yeah, and then they called us idiots and left." Ash mumbled.

"No, no, they called _you_ idiots."

"Perhaps you two just dreamed that situation up." Clemont said. Ash and I rolled our eyes.

The bushes nearby rustled. A Malamar emerged from the shrubbery. It paused to stare at us.

"This doesn't bring back pleasant memories..." Serena said. My friends inched behind me.

It was only a few months ago when we faced a Malamar for the first time. It was a psychotic one who devised a plan to take over the world using their 'new weapon'. My friends and I thwarted its plans, but it destroyed the radio observatory housing its weapon and escaped. In its parting words, it spoke of how its new weapon was only the beginning of its grand design. It hypnotized Officer Jenny and pretended she was the head of the scheme, giving her the alias 'Madame X'. It also hypnotized Team Rocket and my friends, save me, Ash, and Meowth.

Despite the troubles, there was some good to come out of it. Afterwards, I finally started traveling with Ash and the others without hiding underneath invisibility.

Malamar and I locked eyes for a few seconds. Finally, Malamar looked away with a grunt and flew off into the forest. We followed it to a nearby orchard of Oran Berries. A herd of Malamar and Inkay collected berries. Some of the Malamar laid out berries for Flabébé, Bidoof, and Ledyba to eat.

"I guess these Pokémon live in the forest." I said.

"They look like they're all really good friends!" Bonnie said, her eyes shimmering in awe at all the Pokémon.

The grinding crunch of dirt and rocks and revving of engines filled the air. I turned my head and saw three black trucks zooming down the pathway. They didn't look like they'd slow down for us.

"Look out!" I said, pulling my friends away from the path. The trucks zoomed by.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" Ash cried.

"Someone should teach those people how to drive." Serena mumbled as she brushed the dirt off her skirt.

* * *

The five of us stood at the base of Grace Tower and gazed up at it. Bonnie ran forward a few steps and cupped her hands over her mouth.

"Helloooo! Are there any UFOs up there?" she called. Clemont rolled his eyes.

"I already told you, UFOs and aliens aren't real!" he said.

"Don't be such a party pooper!"

"Let's climb up there and see for ourselves!" Ash said, and the three ran ahead.

Clemont sweatdropped. "You actually want to climb up that?!"

"What? Are you afraid you'll be proven wrong?" I said.

Clemont scowled. "Of course not! I know that UFOs aren't real, and going up there will only prove it!"

Clemont trudged ahead of me.

* * *

"What kind of Pokémon do you think are in the UFO?" Bonnie said.

"Well, since the first one I came across had a Beeheyem in it, there might be a good chance there'll be one in there, too." Ash said. "Maybe it'll even be the same one I met before!"

"Elgyem are the first in the evolution line, so maybe one will be there, too!" Serena said.

"Will you three cut it out?" Clemont grumbled, sweat dripping down his forehead.

"All right, Mr. Science Guy. How about we take a break so you don't faint from exhaustion."

"Please."

Screams came from the path ahead of us. We turned and saw Team Rocket tumbling toward us. They crashed into a nearby boulder and flew over us. They landed in a big pile.

"Why am I not surprised that you guys showed us?" Ash said, folding his arms. "We've got better things to do than deal with you."

"So do we, you ungrateful little twerp! We've got bigger problems right now than wanting to steal your Pikachu!" Jessie said.

"What are you jabbering on about?" Bonnie said. "You better start talking right now!"

"What are you all doing?!" a voice cried. We turned and saw a woman with long, green hair peeking over a cluster of rocks. "Hide, quickly!"

Team Rocket agreed, and they yanked us behind the rocks.

"What's going on-?" Ash said, but Team Rocket shushed him and pointed over the rocks.

Two Malamar searched the area, obviously looking for Team Rocket. They floated down that path.

"What did you crooks do this time?" Serena said.

" _We_ didn't do anything!" James said.

"I'll explain everything once we're in a safe place." the woman said. She took off her sunglasses, revealing hazel eyes.

I gasped. "Officer Jenny?"

Jenny took off her hat. "It's nice to see you all again. Come with me."

Jenny led us into a small cave. We sat around in the cramped space. This was the same Officer Jenny that was possessed by Malamar back at the radio observatory.

"If you're here, then something really bad must be going on." Bonnie said, clutching Dedenne.

"That's right. The Malamar we met back then is here at the top of Grace Tower. This time, it's brought friends. Since the first time we confronted Malamar, I've been conducting a secret investigation. Look at this." Officer Jenny pulled out a Holo Caster and projected a short video of the three Malamar hypnotizing scientists. "These Malamar manipulated Kalos' most esteemed scientists into activating their device."

"Their 'new weapon'." I said.

Jenny nodded. "The device is at the top of this mountain."

"Malamar spoke about wanting to use this 'new weapon' to take over the world." Clemont said. "This must be the perfect spot for it to begin what it called its grand design."

"I don't know for sure what their true objective is, but what I do know is that they're definitely plotting something very bad."

"What are we going to do?" Bonnie whimpered.

Officer Jenny stood up. "There's no need to be afraid. I'll stop them no matter what. I'll never let them have their way!"

The cave rumbled, and pebbles broke off from the ceiling and pelted us. We hurried out of the cave. The area was consumed with a red tint. We looked up and saw a giant orb of fire-like power floating above the mountain's crater. Six glowing blue prisms floated beneath, and energy flowed between them and the orb.

"What... What _is_ that?!" Jenny said.

" _I should think it's obvious. The final stage of our grand design has begun._ " We turned and saw two Malamar floating in front of us. " _Officer Jenny, it's such an honor to have you here._ "

Next to me, James' Inkay chattered ferociously and tried to squirm out of his arms. The Malamar shifted their eyes to me.

" _I see you've fetched the one our future king has asked for._ " the first Malamar said. " _We're so glad to have you back._ "

"What are they talking about?" Serena whispered.

I clenched my fist and took a step back. When I met the Malamar the first time, it was greatly intrigued by my power and claimed me as its future wife once it took over the world.

"I'm sorry, but hypnotizing my friends and wanting to take over the world is a huge turn-off." I said.

"What are you Pokémon up to?!" Officer Jenny said.

" _Such questions will be answered by our king. He's expecting you._ " the second Malamar said. His eyes glowed blue. Jessie and Wobbuffet were lifted into the air and paralyzed in its Psychic. The first Malamar trapped Officer Jenny, Ash, Serena, and Bonnie in its Psychic.

"Let them go!" I cried. I thrust out my hand and shot Hyper Beam at the first Malamar. It turned towards me, its eyes glowing brighter, and it stopped the Hyper Beam when it came directly in front of it. The Hyper Beam grew as it added its own into it, and it launched it back at me. I gasped as the Hyper Beam smacked into my body. I cried out and crashed into a boulder beside me.

"Rylee!" Clemont hurried to my side. "Are you all right?"

I groaned and tried to push myself up. A strong, constricting energy wrapped around my body and lifted me into the air. I couldn't move, no matter how hard I tried.

" _That's enough from you._ " the first Malamar said. " _Perhaps you'll be humbled once in the presence of your king._ "

As I floated towards the Malamar, a hand grabbed mine, breaking it away from the side of my body and twisting me sideways. Clemont dangled in the air, desperately holding on.

"Get out of here, Clemont! Go find safety!" I said.

"I can't leave you guys behind!" Clemont said.

"We'll be all right. I won't let Malamar hurt you."

Clemont looked at the ground as it quickly got further and further away. I shut my eyes tightly, feeling them heat up, and a platform of Protect formed underneath Clemont. Hesitantly, he let go of my hand and landed on the Protect.

* * *

~CLEMONT~

I clung to the Protect as it lowered me back down to the mountain path.

" _Get them._ " the first Malamar said. The second nodded, passing on the Team Rocket members over to the first's Psychic hold.

"Run, Clemont! _Run_!" Rylee cried as the first Malamar carried her and the others away.

"You heard the twerpette! Let's skedaddle!" Meowth said. James stood next to him, clutching a very miffed Inkay.

I finally tore my attention away and pulled out a PokéBall. "Bunnelby, use Dig and get us out of here!"

Bunnelby came out and jumped into the air. It spiraled rapidly like a drill as it dove ears first into the ground, creating a large tunnel. I hopped into the tunnel, the remaining Team Rocket members close behind. We ran through the dark, the dirt falling into our hair and shoes. The light from the outside diminished, and the suffocating quarters left me on the brink of hyperventilating. Finally, Bunnelby found the end, and we climbed out into the fresh air.

"Thank you, Bunnelby." I said, returning it to its PokéBall.

Inkay wriggled out of James's arms and tried to fly back to the mountain, but James grabbed him.

"What's the matter with you?!" James shouted over Inkay's enraged cries. "You've completely lost your Inkay-ish mind!"

"Chill out! I can't understand a word you're saying!" Meowth said. Inkay finally gathered enough of its sanity to speak a little slower, allowing Meowth to translate. Without Rylee and her powers, I could no longer hear Inkay's voice. "Inkay's saying it'll never forgive those Malamar for controlling Team Rocket- no, for controlling _you_ back there! 'Enough getting jerked around!' Inkay's gonna knock their blocks off!"

"I didn't know you felt that way..." James said. He smiled and jumped to his feet. "All right, then! Let's go show those Malamar who's the boss!"

"Wait a minute!" I cried, stopping the three in their place. I stood up. "We're powerless against those Malamar! We need to figure out a way to save our friends!"

"And how do you suppose we do that?" Meowth said.

An idea hatched in Inkay's eyes, and it flew off towards the forest.

"Where do you think you're goin'?!" Meowth called.

"I have no idea, but no doubt it's got something up its sleeve!" James said. They ran ahead.

I paused and glanced back towards the mountain. The large ball of power pulsated, and I think it even grew bigger. I gripped the straps of my backpack.

"Rylee... I hope you're safe..." I said quietly. I turned and ran into the forest.

* * *

~RYLEE~

The first Malamar, after sending its friend to pursue Clemont and the others, took us to the top of Grace Tower. The ball of fiery power thumped like a beating heart, its heat seeping into my pores and making my forehead begin to sweat. The Malamar carried us down to its 'king', the Malamar we met back at the radio observatory. It turned around, its eyes finding me immediately.

" _My queen. I see our time apart has given you time to think about my offer._ " Malamar said.

"Queen?!" my friends cried. I grit my teeth.

"I had a lot of thinking to do. Most of it concluded that you're completely nuts!" I said. "What is this 'grand design' that your lackeys won't stop blabbing about?"

Malamar chuckled. " _I'm so glad you asked._ "

Malamar lifted its tentacles and a hologram appeared in front of us. It showed the ball of power and the glowing blue prisms below. It panned out to a view of the mountain and forest. It showed the ball of power unleashing its energy. Flashes of lightning bolts raced across the sky. The environment- the skies, the trees, and ground- changed to a sickly orange with splashes of gray and blue mixed in. It panned out to the entire world, consumed in the energy.

" _Have you ever seen anything more lovely? My own paradisiacal world._ " Malamar said. " _However, I'm afraid none of you will survive to see my finished product... except for my lovely bride._ "

Malamar ran a tentacle against my cheek. An icy chill ran down my spine. The only thing I could do was flare my eyes menacingly.

Bonnie began to cry. "I don't want a new world! I like this one!"

Malamar's lackeys cackled beneath us. Anger flared in my heart.

"It won't happen, Bonnie." I said. I glared at Malamar. "I swear, I will stop this. As long as I'm around, I'll protect this world from debris like you!"

" _Such fire. I like that._ " Malamar said. It turned to its Malamar friends. " _Silence her._ "

The second Malamar grinned as dark power collected at its beak. My friends gasped. I mustered enough resistance to clench my fists. The second Malamar launched a beam of Dark Pulse at me. I squeezed my eyes shut. My eyes flared, and when I opened them, I summoned a thin slab of Protect in front of my face. The Dark Pulse ricocheted off the Protect and flew back, smacking into the first Malamar. It cried out and fell back.

The Psychic energy faded from around my body, relieving my skin. I shot out my hand as I fell to the ground and created another platform of Protect. I bounced off it and planted my feet on the ground. I pushed myself off into a sprint.

" _Don't just float there! After her!_ " Malamar cried as I ran down the path. I glanced behind me and saw the second Malamar flying after me, steadily shortening the distance gap. I took a deep breath, veered right, and leaped off the mountain path. I pressed my legs together and my arms to my sides to gain speed. The trees quickly approached, and I reached out my hands. They slapped against a tree branch, yanking my body from its downward momentum, and I flipped through the air. I landed on another branch, pressed my back against the trunk, and turned invisible. The Malamar passed by me, rustling the leaves on the tree's branches. I breathed as quietly as I could. A sweat trickled down my neck as the Malamar flew off, grumbling to itself.

I sighed and search through the leaves. Clemont had to be here somewhere. No doubt that Malamar would go after him once he lost me.

I turned visible and jumped from the tree branch. As I fell to the ground, light swirled around my body, starting at my feet, making its way up my legs, torso, and above my head as I donned my Pokémon Guardian armor. I landed on the ground in a crouch and stood up straight. I took a deep breath and ran through the cover of the trees.

* * *

~CLEMONT~

My heart pounded as we scurried through the shrubbery. Sweat pooled at my forehead and dribbled down my cheek.

"How much... farther... do we need... to run?!" I cried. Black dots danced in my vision.

We broke through and entered a large field. A large group of forest Pokémon greeted us, those we had seen earlier in the day. The Malamar stood tall above the others and the Inkay floated around their heads. They had been watching the growing orb of power in the distance.

"Don't shoot! We're the good guys!" Meowth said.

James's Inkay flew up to the forest Malamar and chattered incoherently, flailing its tentacles around as it tried to explain things.

"I think Inkay's trying to get help from these Malamar." I said.

"A brilliant idea! Inkay wants to get the good Malamar to help us fight against the bad ones!" James said. "How are they taking it?"

"Uh..." Meowth said. "See, they're not really buying the bad Malamar's plot."

I hurried to Inkay's side. "Please, Malamar, you've got to believe us!" I said. "They took our friends, and they're keeping them hostage! We need your help to rescue them!"

Psychic energy coiled around my body, covering me from head to toe, and Team Rocket and I were lifted into the air. I craned my head and saw one of the Malamar cackling above us. Dark energy collected at its beak, and it shot Hyper Beam at the other forest Pokémon, scaring the Flabébé, Bidoof, and Ledyba away. The good Malamar watched them scatter and care for those that got injured in shock before they turned to the evil one. In my left ear, I heard rustling coming from the bushes nearby. I managed to turn my head a few inches, but whatever caused the disturbance had moved somewhere else. The evil Malamar began to speak.

"Meowth, translate." James said.

"'Attention. Join my mission, all my fellow Pokémon. Those who refuse will be eliminated!'" Meowth said.

A figure sprung from the trees and lunged for the evil Malamar.

"Rylee!" I gasped.

Rylee, wearing her Pokémon Guardian armor, brought her hands together and created a sword made of Protect as she soared through the air. She reared her arm back. The evil Malamar turned around as she swung, smashing the Protect into its stomach and launching it to the ground. The Psychic control faded from my body, and I landed on my butt. The evil Malamar stood back up and growled. Rylee landed in front of the forest Pokémon and stretched her weapon out to the side.

"Don't listen to this creature. All it wants is the destruction of you and your friends so they can create a world for themselves." Rylee said, glancing back at the forest Inkay and Malamar. "Please, fight with me to restore good back to this forest and the world!"

" _Silence, you insolent little brat!_ " the evil Malamar said. It formed a Hyper Beam and shot it at her.

The Malamar and Inkay stepped in front of Rylee and combined their forces. With a barrage of Psycho Cut and Flamethrower, they cut through the Hyper Beam and hit the evil Malamar. The evil Malamar cried out and flew away from the meadow, disappearing in thin air and back towards its hideout.

Rylee dispelled her Protect and turned to the forest Pokémon. "Thank you." she said.

"Rylee!" I rushed over and wrapped my arms around her. "You got away!"

Rylee chuckled and rested her hands on my shoulders. She remained silent. I pulled away and looked at her solemn expression. I followed her line of sight to the orb of power. One of the blue prisms below turned red.

"The grand design has begun..." she said. She looked to me. "We don't have much time. Malamar wants to use that ball of power to turn this world into its own twisted paradise. We have to hurry back to the mountains." Rylee stepped away and turned to the Inkay and Malamar. "Please, come with me."

The forest Pokémon nodded. Rylee stretched out her hand and summoned a large platform of Protect. James and Meowth hopped on.

Rylee stepped on and turned to me. "Want to know what it's like to stop the end of the world?" she said, holding her hand out to me.

I nodded with a smile and took her hand.

* * *

~RYLEE~

I lifted the platform of Protect into the air and we flew towards Grace Tower. The forest Inkay and Malamar traveled close behind. As we drew closer, two more of the prisms turned red. I clenched my teeth and picked up speed. As we reached the crest of the mountain crater, my friends and the evil Malamar came into view.

"There!" I said. "Attack!"

The Malamar swiped their tentacles, unleashing a barrage of Psycho Cuts that hit the main Malamar's lackeys, followed by the Inkays' combined Flamethrowers.

" _What in the-?!_ " Malamar said. It turned to the source. Our eyes met and it growled. " _Why must you insist on getting on my nerves?_ "

"It's about time you get dethroned. Too bad it's from the one you thought you could trust the most." I hissed.

Malamar smirked and flew around us. It reached out a tentacle and snatched James's Inkay. Inkay thrashed around, yelling nonsense at Malamar that I couldn't understand. Malamar grinned as a bright light glowed from its body- its Hypnosis. Inkay stopped squirming, focused completely on the light. The light faded, and Inkay turned around. Its eyes were yellow and glazed over. Malamar released Inkay, and it attacked us with Psybeam. We dodged the attack, my friends and I running one way and Team Rocket the other.

"Inkay! Please, stop it, old chum!" James cried, climbing to his feet. "Are you going to let our bond get severed by that creep?" An idea hatched in his eyes. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a croissant. "Look at this! It's your favorite! Our friendship began with this. You've got to remember and come back to me!"

" _Spare your pathetic attempts._ " Malamar said, his body glowing with light. Inkay lunged at James and crashed into his chest. James wrapped his arms around Inkay.

"Let this remind you! We're partners! Remember our days together!" James said, feeding Inkay the croissant. As the croissant diminished, Inkay's regular iris color returned. It flew out of James's arms and smiled as it finished off the croissant. James held out his arms, and Inkay flew into them.

" _What?! Impossible!_ " Malamar said.

"You underestimate us!" Ash said. "This is as far as you go! Your grand design is done with!"

" _Is it?_ " Malamar looked up at the glowing orb of power. Two more prisms turned red, leaving two left.

I clenched my fist. "Ash, Clemont, get everyone to safety!"

"What are you gonna-?" Ash said.

"Just _go_!" I turned to them with flaring eyes. They paused and nodded before leading everyone down the mountain path. The fifth prism turned red, and the sixth one was nearly halfway full.

Power surged through my veins, flooding every corner of my body. The three Malamar attacked with a triple Dark Pulse. A shield of light covered me and protected me from harm. Balls of multicolored power formed in the air around me, the Malamar, the prisms, and the ball of power. I thrust out my body as the air exploded. The balls erupted, blinding my vision with an array of colors until they meshed together into white. The deadening roar of silence afterward mixed with the blood pounding in my ears.

I groaned and fell to my knees, clinging to consciousness as I panted heavily. My vision became double, and I tried to discern the correct version. I slowly lifted my head, and I was met with a bright, sparkling light. The orb of power had burst, scattering gold sparkles across the mountain and forest like snow. The dark clouds dispersed and sunlight filled the area. The red prisms crashed to the ground, one destroying the black vans, and they turned black and died.

" _You... you could've been my queen..._ " I looked and saw Malamar and his two lackeys stagger to their feet. " _We could've ruled together... side by side... I promised you everything... I had to give..._ "

"Nothing you offered was what I want." I said. A pair of hands gripped my arms and pulled me to my feet. I turned and gazed into Clemont's blue eyes. I smiled at him before turning back to Malamar. "I don't want your idea of paradise. Everything that I need is here on this planet."

Malamar scoffed. " _You humans disgust me. It'll give me great pleasure when I wipe you from the face of this pathetic piece of rock. Until then, we will return to the future. Mark my words: we_ will _return, and our grand design will finally come to pass!_ "

Malamar cackled as its eyes glowed blue. The prisms were lifted into the air with Psychic. They joined together in the sky and created one single, white prism. The three Malamar flew into the prism and disappeared. The black vans leaked smoke.

"They're destroying the evidence!" Officer Jenny said.

My head grew dizzy and my legs crumbled beneath me. Zoroark transformed into her true self and scooped me into her arms.

" _We've got to go. Now!_ " Zoroark said.

Footsteps surrounded me as my friends raced down the mountain path. I looked up as fire and smoke erupted from the mountain's crater. The white prism holding the three Malamar floated into the sky and disappeared, leaving a ripple of different colors that distorted the sky's blue.

At the foot of the mountain, Zoroark set me down. I leaned against a tree as I slowly regathered my energy.

"Did... Did you use Roar of Time back there?" Clemont said, his eyes wide. I nodded.

"You haven't used that in a long time." Ash said.

"Yeah... I try to be very careful with it, considering it wipes me out after I use it." I said. "This is only the second time I've used it."

"The fact that you _can_ use it is unbelievable!" Clemont said. "Just when I thought you had no more surprises up your sleeves."

I smiled. "There's a lot that's yet to be seen. Perhaps you'll learn more along this journey."

Clemont smiled- a mysterious, knowing smile. "I hope so, too."


	36. Slipping and Sliding

"Come on, come on!" Serena cried as she and Bonnie jogged ahead of us in the rocky canyon.

"Slow down, Serena. Coumarine City isn't going anywhere." Clemont said.

"The sooner we get there, the closer I'll be to my first Pokémon Showcase! Hurry up!"

We reached a long and steep hill that stretched on for a while. While I hiked, I noticed Serena's pacing begin to slow about halfway up. After another minute, Ash and I glanced back and saw Serena trudging up the slope alongside Clemont.

"So much for getting there quickly." Ash said.

"Are we there yet?!" Serena cried.

"If we say yes, will you stop complaining?" I said.

"Hey!" Bonnie cried at the crest of the hill. "At this point, it's all downhill!"

"Thank goodness!" Clemont said.

We joined Bonnie at the top and looked at the winding trail below. We heard the coo of a Pokémon and looked up as a Swanna flew over us.

"A Swanna!" Bonnie said. "I've never seen one before! Can you catch it for me, Clemont?"

"Uh..." Clemont sweatdropped. "How about we focus on taking care of Dedenne?"

"Guys... What's that?" Serena pointed to the sky. As Swanna passed over us, an object fell from it and made its way to us.

"What in the-?" Ash said before a large, purple, gooey object plopped onto his face, engulfing his head. He lost his balance and fell on his back.

"Are you okay, Ash?!"

Ash muffled underneath the object and pried it off and set it on the ground. His face was drenched with its slime.

"What is this?" Bonnie said. She poked its face and tugged on its antennae.

"It's a Goomy." I said, pulling her hand away. It looked like a large puddle of melted goop. "It doesn't look good."

"Hey, Goomy, wake up." Ash said, lightly nudging its head. Goomy didn't move.

"You know, Goomy's body is mostly made up of liquids. Maybe riding on Swanna's back underneath this sun dried it out." Clemont said.

"I have some water that may help." Serena said, taking off her backpack and bringing out her water bottle. She opened it and spilled the remainder of its contents onto Goomy's head. As the liquid absorbed into Goomy's body, its eyes cracked open.

"It still doesn't look better." Ash said. He stood up and looked around. "There's a river down there! I'll take Goomy to it."

He scooped Goomy into his arms and hurried to the edge of the cliff.

"Um, Ash, shouldn't we look for a way that's less scary-looking?" Serena said.

"This isn't a problem! All right, Goomy, let's go!" Ash said.

"Wait, Ash!" I said, but Ash leaped off the edge and began a wild sprint down the slope. I sighed. "He could've asked me for help."

"Since when does Ash ever think of a logical solution?" Clemont said.

I stretched my hand out and created a platform of Protect. We climbed onto it and rode down the cliffside toward the river, keeping our eyes on Ash as he tumbled down the side. He miraculously managed to dodge the giant boulders in his way, but near the foot of the cliff, his foot snagged on a small rock and he flew into the air. Goomy flew out of his arms, and it, Pikachu, and Ash tumbled into the river. Ash's head surfaced, and he grumbled while he wrung out the water from his hat.

"Did you have fun?" Bonnie said as we floated down to the riverside. Ash ignored her.

Goomy floated to the surface, still looking melted. We poured more water on its head to try and help it recover. With each drop, its spirits came alive again. Clemont dumped a bucketful of water on Goomy's head. Goomy shook off its weariness.

" _T-Thank you!_ " Goomy said.

"That's a relief!" Bonnie said.

Dedenne poked its head out from Bonnie's bag. " _Hi, there!_ " it said.

Goomy screamed and leaped back onto Ash's head, its body rippling from its trembling.

"What's up with you? Are you scared of Dedenne?" Ash said.

"Dragon-types are weak against Fairy-types, so that might be why it's afraid." Clemont said.

Bonnie snickered. "How can you be afraid Dedenne? It's too cute to be scary!" she said. "You're so weird."

Goomy slid off Ash's head and back into the water, returning to a pile of goo.

"I think you hurt its feelings." I said.

"Oh... Sorry." Bonnie crouched down and patted Goomy's head.

"Maybe we can do something else to help it out." Ash said. "Hey, Goomy, how about getting something to eat?"

Goomy perked up again and nodded. It crawled out of the water, and we followed it down the rocky path and into the forest nearby. We stopped at the roots of a berry tree. Goomy slithered over to a bush planted next to it and gobbled down the leaves, humming happily. Chespin broke out from its PokéBall.

" _Leaves? Please! I've got something better!_ " Chespin said, pointing up at the berry tree. He used Pin Missile on the trunk, making it rain berries. With shimmering eyes, Chespin picked up a berry and took a big bite out of it.

As Chespin opened his mouth to eat some more, a cluster of the tree's leaves rustled, and an Ariados fell out and in front of Chespin. Goomy scurried behind Pikachu.

"This tree must be Ariados' home. I guess it didn't like Chespin coming over and messing it up." Clemont said.

Ariados attacked with String Shot, but Pikachu countered with Electro Ball. With a grumble, Ariados crawled back up the tree and disappeared.

Goomy, however, was still trembling and sweating so badly that a puddle began to form underneath him.

"Is everything all right, Goomy?" I said. I knelt and patted Goomy's head. "It's gone now; it won't hurt you."

Images flooded into my mind. I saw a swarm of Yanmega dive-bombing from the sky above a swampy oasis. They dropped off Ariados that charged towards a group of Gulpin. A flock of Swanna flew away from the area, and I could see spots billowing with smoke.

"What's up, Rylee?" Ash said.

"You... should see this." I stretched my hand out, and I displayed Goomy's memories in front of the others. The ambush replayed in front of them, and once it was finished, we turned to Goomy. "What in the world was that?"

"It looked like some kind of battle between Pokémon." Serena said. "Maybe that's why Goomy was so afraid of that Ariados."

"Is there anything else that we should know?" Clemont said.

Zoroark's ears perked up, and she turned her head. I followed her line of sight and saw something shine in the distance. A blue cube flew towards us. I jumped to my feet and swiped two fingers vertically, creating a thin strip of Protect. It sliced through the cube, scattering metal and circuitry at our feet. I looked up at the sky and saw the tips of Team Rocket's Meowth hot-air balloon peeking above the trees.

"Let's move." I said. My friends scrambled to their feet. "You guys go ahead; we'll distract Team Rocket."

My friends nodded, and they disappeared into the woods, leaving me, my Pokémon, and Goomy, who was too lost in thought to notice the others leave. Sylveon waved a ribbon-like feeler in front of its face, and it snapped out of its reverie and scurried away from her.

"All right, Zoroark." I said. I crouched down, glowing green, and transformed into Pikachu. Zoroark transformed into me and picked up Goomy, shuddering at its slimy body. The entirety of Team Rocket's hot-air balloon came into view, and they spotted us. We took off in a different direction as the others. We found a path and hurried down it.

" _Do you have any plans besides running?_ " Sylveon said.

A Shadow Ball and ray of Psybeam hit the ground in front of us, and we came to a skidding halt.

" _Fight, I guess._ " I said, turning around to face Team Rocket.

"All right, Ms. Pokémon twerpette. If you don't mind, we'll take that Pikachu off your hands." Jessie said.

Zoroark scowled and took a step back. Goomy squirmed in her arms.

"Playing hard to get, eh?" James said. "Inkay, use Psybeam!"

"Pumpkaboo, Shadow Ball!"

A glint shimmered in Zoroark's eye. " _Sylveon, use Dazzling Gleam._ " Sylveon obeyed, blinding Team Rocket's Pokémon. " _Pikachu, use Hyper Beam!_ "

I smiled and used Sylveon to jumped high into the air. Collecting the Hyper Beam at the tip of my tail, I twisted my body and fired it at the Pokémon. It hit Inkay, and it flew back over to Team Rocket, unconscious.

"Since when can Pikachu use a move like that?!" Jessie said.

"Rylee!" I turned and saw Ash and the others heading our way.

"Hold the phone! Since when did you lugs have _two_ Pikachus?!" Meowth said.

"They're... not in their best form today, are they?" Serena said.

"Let's just get them out of the way." Bonnie grumbled.

"Pumpkaboo, use Dark Pulse!"

Goomy squirmed out of Zoroark's arms and leaped in front of all of us. The Dark Pulse hit it.

"Goomy!" Ash cried.

"Use Dark Pulse again!"

Again, the Dark Pulse hit Goomy. When the attack stopped, Goomy's contour glowed red. It pulled back its head as a ball of white energy coursed at the end of its mouth. It unleashed the energy in one giant, white, searing beam of power. The power hit Pumpkaboo, knocking it back into Team Rocket and blasting them off into the sky.

"Whoa... That was incredible!" Ash said.

"That was Bide." Clemont said.

Ash turned to Goomy. "You were awesome, Goomy! That's some amazing power you've got there." Goomy blushed.

" _Yeah, you were awesome!_ " Dedenne said, hopping out of Bonnie's bag and landing on Sylveon's head. Goomy whimpered and hid behind me, terrified of the double flower power before it.

"You know, even though it's weak to Fairy-types, I don't see why Goomy should be so afraid of them." Serena said.

" _Maybe there's something we don't know._ " I said. " _I mean, we all saw that battle earlier. Goomy must be keeping a lot inside his head._ "

" _You say I'm strong..._ " Goomy said, slowing crawling out from behind me and looking up at Ash. " _B-B-But... do you think I could become... stronger?_ "

"Well, of course you can!" Ash said. His eyes widened. "Goomy, do you want to come along with me?"

Goomy's antennae perked up, and he nodded. Ash grinned and pulled out an empty PokéBall.

"I couldn't ask for a better addition to the team. Together, we'll get even stronger." Ash crouched down and tapped the PokéBall lightly against Goomy's head, pulling him inside. The PokéBall shook a few times before it sealed shut. Ash held the PokéBall tightly. "I can't wait to see what's in store for us."


	37. A Push in the Right Direction

Standing in a line behind Serena, we watched her approach the front counter, clutching her Pokédex in her hands. Taking a deep breath, she placed the Pokédex on the screen in front of her. The screen scanned the Pokédex and brought up her picture and other information.

"It's all done! You're now registered to participate in the Pokémon Showcase Rookie Class," Nurse Joy said.

Serena smiled and removed her Pokédex. "Thank you." She turned to us. "Is it possible for me to be this nervous?"

"You still have a little more time before it starts for last-minute preparations," Ash said.

"I'm confident in our routine, but I guess a little more practice wouldn't hurt." Serena bounced on her toes. "I'm just so excited, I can hardly wait! Is this just like when you're about to have a gym battle?"

"No doubt. Since my gym battle is over, it's time to focus on you. We'll all root for you in the audience, and I know you're going to do great!"

"In the meantime, why don't we take this chance to look around the town?" Clemont said. "After all, the only thing we've really seen in Coumarine City is its Gym."

As we headed to the door, we heard construction work coming from outside. The doors slid open, and we saw multiple civilians hurrying by. The streets were heavily adorned with decorations, and people were adding even more. Ribbons, ornaments, and lights filled the trees, and shopkeepers and house owners hung up PokéBall wreaths on their shrubbery, windows, and rooftops.

"Gee, what's going on here?" Bonnie said, cupping a PokéBall ornament in her hands from a nearby bush.

"Howdy, y'all!" We turned and saw Ramos, the small, elderly Gym Leader of Coumarine's Gym riding on top of his Gogoat.

"Hey, Ramos. What's up with all the decorations around the town? Is something happening?" Ash said.

"Everyone's getting ready for the Coumarine City Festival. You young folks came at a good time of year. The origins of the festival date back to long before this town was built. A trainer and his beloved Pokémon lived here after a long and adventurous journey. In honor of their everlasting friendship, the trainer gave his Pokémon a tree to remind them of all they went through together. That tree, which became known as the Pledging Tree, just so happens to be that one right up there." Ramos pointed above our heads, and we followed it to the gargantuan tree standing tall in the distance. "Since then, it's said that when a trainer gives his Pokémon a gift while standing under that tree, the bond between them will grow even stronger. The folks here have kept this tradition going for many, many years."

"What a great tradition!" Serena said. "Why don't we all join in on the festival?"

"That's a great idea!" Ash said. "This is going to be so much fun!"

"I'm glad to see you young 'uns so enthusiastic about these things. If you want to be a part of the festival, make sure your gift is placed under the tree by sundown. Once the sun is gone, that's when the gift exchange will begin. If you'll excuse me, I'll be heading on over to go and decorate the tree. I'll see y'all tonight."

We thanked Ramos as he passed, then turned to each other. Serena pulled out her Town Map and pointed to a glowing red area.

"There's a shopping district by the port. We'll find the perfect gift there," Serena said.

Clemont adjusted his glasses. "I'll skip out on the shopping today. I have something different in mind for my gifts," he said.

"I bet you're going to make them yourself, right?" Ash said.

"Of course. It's what I do best."

"Just make sure they last longer than ten seconds," Bonnie mumbled. "I don't think Pokémon like piles of charred metal as gifts."

"Not all my inventions explode, thank you very much!"

"Are you coming with us, Rylee?" Ash said.

"No, thanks. I think I'll take a stroll around the town. Maybe the sights will inspire me," I said.

"Since you're all going to be out shopping, can I take care of your Pokémon?" Bonnie said with her hand raised high in the air.

"Sure thing!" Ash plucked Pikachu off his shoulder and set him on the ground. He pulled out his PokéBalls and brought out the other members of his team. "You all just relax, and we'll go and get your presents, okay?"

The combination of all their cheers filled the air. Clemont added his Pokémon to the group. I crouched down and placed Zoroark on the ground next to Sylveon.

"Have a good time with the others, all right?" I said. They both nodded.

"If you need us, we'll be at the Pokémon Center," Clemont said. "Have a good time!"

Clemont and Bonnie led our Pokémon into the Center. Once the doors closed, Ash and Serena headed on their way.

"We'll see you later!" they said with a wave. I smiled and waved until they turned their backs to me. I turned the other way and started my casual stroll down the street. It seemed like the more I walked, the more the excitement in the air stirred. I saw hordes of people and their Pokémon carrying gifts of different shapes and sizes as they made their hike up to the Pledging Tree. It all brought a smile to my face; all this cheer could make any sourpuss happy. I walked over to a tree and touched a tiny PokéBall ornament hanging low on one of its branches.

I paused as I stared at the ornament. As my fingers played with it, my other hand reached up and touched my neck, but I only found my locket. My hands fell back to my sides as my thoughts flew out of the city, out of the region.

 _This festival isn't complete without everyone here._

I turned and continued down the street, my stride even slower than before and my eyes to the ground.

* * *

~TPPOV~

"All right, everyone! Line up for brushing!" Bonnie said, waving a hand in the air with the other one holding a hairbrush. "After this, we can all have snack time! Serena made plenty of Poké Puffs for you all!"

The kids' Pokémon rushed to get into a line. At the end, Sylveon, Bunnelby, and Hawlucha stood in a small huddle. Hawlucha flexed and posed while Bunnelby cheered and Sylveon smiled.

"Come on, you three, get in line! The brushing includes you, too!" Bonnie said. The three hurried to get in line.

Zoroark trotted over to the table Clemont worked at and hopped on the top of the bench. She peered over his shoulder and watched him screw two pieces together.

" _What are you making for your Pokémon?_ " she said.

"You'll just have to wait and see like everyone else," Clemont said.

" _It's not going to blow up, is it?_ "

"Ha, ha, very funny." Clemont paused in his work and looked up. "Can I ask you something?"

Zoroark hopped onto the table and sat down. " _Sure._ "

"What do you do when two sides are at a stalemate and you want something to happen, but neither of them know they have the power to change things?"

Zoroark tilted her head curiously. She tried to meet Clemont's gaze, but he focused on the wall.

" _Hm..._ " Zoroark said, flicking her tail side to side. " _I... guess... I guess maybe they need someone else to push them in the right direction and help them realize things. If neither side will take the first step, then you'll have to be the one to do that for them._ "

Clemont finally looked at Zoroark.

" _Did that help?_ "

After a long, thoughtful pause, Clemont smiled and nodded. "It did. Thanks."

* * *

~RYLEE~

The sun began its descent into the horizon, and the sky and clouds began to show an orange tint. I climbed up the last part of the hill leading to the Pledging Tree. The more I drew closer, the more I can to crane my neck back to see the top of the tree. People and Pokémon were crowded at the tree's roots, so I took a detour and hid behind a group of bushes. I transformed into a Fletchling, flying above the people to the branches of the trees. I transformed back to my human self and planted my feet on the branch, placing a hand on the trunk to keep my balance. I sat down, stretched my legs along the sturdy branch, and leaned against the branch. The leaves and strung-up lights obstructed most of my view of the sunset, but I had a clear sight of the people below me.

I leaned my head against the trunk and stared at the leaves. My mind wandered to my PokéVision video. As it replayed in my mind, I remembered when it was first created and released to the public.

 _"Just imagine: both our videos in the PokéVision Top Ten!"_

 _"If you do they'll be broadcasted to every region in the world."_

 _Every... region..._

My eyes widened, and I sat up.

 _"Ever since it got uploaded, thousands of people have been watching it!"_

My heart skipped a beat, and I held my locket tightly.

 _...Did he see it?_

* * *

~TPPOV~

"I'm back!" Serena said as she entered the Pokémon Center. Fennekin ran over and jumped into her arms.

"How'd your shopping go?" Clemont said.

Serena set a shopping bag on the table and sat down across from Clemont. "It went great! I found the perfect gifts for my Pokémon. How about you?"

Clemont poked his thumb at an object hidden underneath a white cloth. "I finished my first gift a little while ago. I was just about to start on the other one. It shouldn't take too long, though."

Serena eyed the tiny, golden pieces of metal laying in a pile in front of Clemont. "I'll say. What are you going to make with this?"

"You'll know when it's finished."

Bonnie tugged on Clemont's sleeve. "Hey, Clemont... Do you think I could give the Pokémon a present, too?"

"Of course you can."

"Really? I don't have to be a trainer to be a part of this?"

"Anyone can participate," Serena said. "And besides, whatever you make for everyone will be greatly appreciated! I'm sure they'll love it!"

Bonnie smiled. "Okay, I'll get started right away!" She turned and hurried over to the Pokémon to speak to them.

"I need to get started on my gifts. There's not much time left before the festival starts," Serena pulled tissue-wrapped items out of the shopping bag and placed them on the table.

"Then we'd better hurry," Clemont said. He picked up a pair of thin pliers and a tiny piece of metal.

* * *

~RYLEE~

The commotion below was louder than before. I cracked my eyes open and rubbed them; I must've fallen asleep. I looked below and saw the crowd of people much bigger than earlier; the entire town stood at the tree's roots. The last of the presents were placed at the base. Among those setting their gifts down, I saw the tiny silhouettes of my friends and their Pokémon. They joined the front of the crowd while Ramos stood before everyone and spoke. Whatever he said, the distance prevented me from hearing it. I sat up straight and shifted my sitting position, dangling my feet over the branch. The crowd began to chant, and I strained to hear it.

"Three... two... one!" the crowd cried.

I shielded my eyes as a bright light pierced the night air. When they adjusted, I lowered my hand and gasped at the lights. The tree was aglow, and the leaves shimmered with multicolored lights around me, as if thousands of fireflies covered the tree. It took my breath away. The lights made it hard to see the people below me, but through squinted eyes, I could see the gift exchange begin.

Tears filled my eyes. _I should be a part of that..._

Hugging my arms and bowing my head, I turned invisible.

* * *

The chatter of the citizens below began to fade; the festival had ended. I remained still with my eyes closed as I listened to the dying festivities. Eventually, there was silence. The lights of the tree burned through my eyelids, making my vision red instead of black. I willed myself to open my eyes.

Looking below, the crowds of people and the piles of presents were gone, already handed out to the desired Pokémon.

However, standing at the base of the tree, I saw a yellow and blue silhouette. I lifted my head and turned visible. I pushed myself off the branch and placed my feet on a platform of Protect. I flew down to the ground behind Clemont. He turned to me.

"There you are! You missed the festival," he said.

"Sorry. I guess I wasn't feeling up for it," I said. "Did everyone like their gifts?"

"They loved them."

"That's good." I sighed and lowered my eyes. "It seems like I'm the only one who didn't get gifts for my Pokémon. Some trainer I am."

Clemont stuck a hand in his pocket. "That's not true. We all know you care about them a lot. You didn't get them a physical gift, but you give them many other things: friendship, love, and protection. I think that's as good as any tangible present." Clemont shifted on his feet. "Speaking of presents... I have something for you."

I looked back up at Clemont. "What?"

Clemont pulled a small, wrapped box from his pocket. "I made this for you. I got a little help from Zoroark, too." Clemont held the box out to me.

I accepted the box and held it in my hands. Stealing a glance at Clemont, who watched with a smile, I pulled off the ribbon and lifted the box. Laying on a small layer of tissue paper was a gold chain.

"It's a necklace. Back when you showed me your memories of Unova, I noticed you wore something like that. Since you don't have it anymore, I thought you could use this one. That way holding your PokéBalls would be more convenient again," Clemont said.

Setting the empty box on the ground, I held the chain in my hands. Tears filled my eyes and fell down my face.

"So... Do you like it?"

I clipped the chain around my neck and attached my PokéBalls to it. I grabbed Clemont's shoulders and pulled him into a tight hug.

"Thank you," I said.

Clemont returned the hug.


	38. Stepping into the Spotlight

"Ta-da!" Serena leaped from behind the couch and twirled around. In her hands was her performance dress. Fennekin and Pancham hopped onto the back of the couch and posed to show off their accessories. "What do you think?"

Bonnie jumped off the couch. "Wowee! You all look so cute!"

"You're going to look great for the Pokémon Showcase," Clemont said.

"Thanks! I'm just so nervous, but also really excited!" Serena said.

"We know you'll do your best," Ash said. Serena smiled.

"Let's get there early so I can check in."

* * *

We entered Coumarine City's stadium. People were hustling back and forth, both attendees and participants.

"Everyone's excited for the showcase," I said, "and not just the performers."

"It's the first one of the year," Serena said. "Usually it reflects how the rest of them will be. It can help to get people's hopes up for what's to come."

"Serena! There you are!" We turned and saw Shauna hurry into the stadium. She skidded to a stop, her shoulders heaving slightly.

"Are you competing in the showcase, too?" Clemont said.

"Of course! After all, I can't risk falling behind. We're rivals now" Shauna said. She turned to Serena with a determined scowl and held out her hand. "I plan to win today."

Serena matched Shauna's expression and gripped her hand. "Me, too. I'm giving it all I've got."

Shauna flashed a smile. "Come on, let's go check out the stadium!"

We entered the stadium, which took up most of the entire building. The lights were dimmed, but green spotlights moved through the room and gave it a tint. The early people had already claimed their seats.

"Just think: soon, this entire place will be packed with people," Shauna said. Serena fought off a shudder. Shauna chuckled. "On second thought, don't do that. I'm getting even more nervous. This is only my second time performing; I'm not used to it yet." Shauna turned to us. "You guys should stay here and find your seats. Serena and I will head backstage and start getting ready for the preliminary round."

"Good luck! We'll be cheering for you!" Ash said.

Shauna and Serena waved before heading out. We sat down in the back row of the ground floor. Zoroark sat on my shoulder and Sylveon in my lap. Chespin popped out from his PokéBall and onto Clemont's lap.

"Are you wanting to watch the performances?" Clemont said.

" _Of course! I wouldn't miss it for the world!_ " Chespin said.

" _I bet he just wants to watch all the pretty Pokémon dance around,_ " Zoroark said.

Chespin flashed a cheeky grin. " _Well... it's a bonus..._ "

Bonnie squirmed in her seat. "It hasn't even started yet, and I'm already so nervous. I can't wait to see all the performances!"

"I hope Serena makes it past the preliminary round. She's worked so hard on her performance; it'd be a shame if she couldn't show it," I said.

The stadium quickly filled with people as it grew closer to starting time. A few minutes before, every seat in the room was filled. The collection of everyone's chatter shook the floors. Finally, the spotlights switched off, and the crowd erupted into cheers.

"It's starting!" Bonnie gasped.

"Bonjour! Ladies and gentlemen, welcome you to the Coumarine City Rookie Class Pokémon Showcase!" the announcer said. A spotlight switched on, shining over a tall man wearing a Klefki mask. His suit was split down the middle- one side blue and one side black- and the ends were lined with a glowing blue. He pulled off the mask and twirled his cane in the air. "I am Monsieur Pierre, your master of ceremonies. It is my honor to guide you through this wonderful event of hope, love, and dreams!"

The crowd cheered.

"Today, we will witness Pokémon and Performer become one as they charm us with numerous exquisite skills." A Klefki descended from above and to Monsieur Pierre's side. A golden key with green jewels dangled from its key ring body. "Merci, Klefki." Pierre held the key up. "The winner of the Rookie Class will be awarded this Princess Key! For those of you who may not know, three of these beautiful keys will grant a Performer the chance to perform in the Master Class tournament and compete for the title of Kalos Queen! Rest assured that all our Performers today will work hard to try and win this." Pierre stomped the end of his cane into the ground. "Now, let the Coumarine City Pokémon Showcase begin!"

The crowd roared. Bonnie tugged on my arm in excitement.

"The first stage is the theme performance. The theme is... Pokémon Styling!" Three small, metal, closed booths rose onto the stage. "Our Performers have ten minutes to dress up their Pokémon and lead them down the runway. Let's meet our first group of Performers!"

The floor in the center of the stage rose, and three girls stood.

"Hey, there's Shauna!" Ash said as Shauna stood between two other girls.

"Only one out of this lovely group of ladies, as well as all others, will move on to the next round. Who that lucky one will be? That decision is in the hands of you, our guests," Pierre said.

"We won't need to worry about Serena. She's great at fashion!" Bonnie said.

The three performers retreated into a booth.

"Are you ready, Performers?" Pierre said. He snapped his fingers. "Let the decorating begin!"

The timer started. The Performers inside worked furiously. As the time grew nearer, the windows to the booths were curtained. Soon, the ten minutes were up.

"Time's up!" Pierre said.

The three Performers took their turn walking down the runway. Shauna, second-in-line, waved to the crowd as she walked beside her Bulbasaur, who was decorated with bouquets of colorful flowers. Once they were finished walking, they stood in a line onstage.

"All right, ladies and gentlemen, it's time to choose. Please take your Glow Casters," Pierre said. We fished for the glow sticks beneath our seats. "Each Performer is given a key plate with a specific color: pink, blue, or yellow. On my signal, hold up the light of the Performer you enjoyed. The one with the most votes will move on to the next round. Ready, set... go!"

My friends and I held up our Glow Casters, all four of them glowing pink for Shauna. The pink lights, as well as everyone else's lights, soared from our Glow Casters, to the stage, and to the key plates of the desired Performer. I noticed that all the lights were either pink or yellow, no blue.

"The one who will advance to the next round is..." Pierre said. Three keyholes appeared above the Performers, with Shauna's keyhole filled the most. "Performer Shauna and Bulbasaur!"

We applauded. Shauna scooped Bulbasaur into her arms and jumped up and down in excitement.

"Congratulations, Shauna!" Pierre said. "Now, please welcome our next group of performers!"

One by one, groups of Performers decorated their Pokémon partners and presented them to the crowds. Finally, Serena and Fennekin appeared onstage.

"There she is, there she is!" Bonnie squealed. "That dress looks _so_ pretty on her!"

"There have definitely been a lot of impressive Performers. Serena has some serious competition," Clemont said.

"Let's go, Serena!" cried Ash with his hands cupped over his mouth.

Sylveon squirmed in my lap. " _I'm so nervous for them... I hope they do well._ "

The Performers retreated to the booths and decorated their Pokémon within the ten-minute limit. Serena and Fennekin stepped out of their booth. Fennekin was dressed in a pink and white outfit, with blue beads wrapped around the end of her tail. Serena waved to the crowd. She leaned over and said something to Fennekin.

"So cute!" Bonnie said, squeezing Dedenne in her arms.

Fennekin stepped forward, her paw stepping on the long, pink ribbon tied around her neck. Fennekin lurched forward and smashed her face into the ground. The beads on her tail broke off and scattered across the end of the runway; some of the beads fell off and bounced on the floor. Gasps rippled through the crowd, followed by silence.

"Fennekin!" Serena cried, which could be heard even from this distance due to the crushing silence. She dropped to her knees and gathered Fennekin into her arms, her face hidden from the crowd.

" _Oh, no..._ " Sylveon whispered.

I glanced at my friends, who remained fixated on the stage. I faced forward.

* * *

Serena received the lowest number of votes from her group and was eliminated. Serena changed and joined us in the crowd; she refused to speak for the rest of the showcase. Shauna's freestyle performance won her the Princess Key.

"Congratulations, Shauna," Ash said as we stood outside the stadium. "You did great today."

"Thank you!" Shauna said. "I can't wait to tell Trevor and Tierno. They'll be so shocked to hear. You better not spoil this for me!"

"Wait for me, Shauna. I'll catch up to you in no time!" Serena said.

"I know you will! Let's aim for the title of Kalos Queen together." Shauna waved. "I'll see you guys again soon!"

We waved as Shauna ran off. Serena clapped her hands together.

"Let's go have dinner at the Pokémon Showcase. You guys must be hungry," she said.

"Yeah. All that excitement left me starving," Ash said, rubbing his stomach.

"Let's go, let's go!" Bonnie grabbed Serena's hand, and the two started the walk to the Pokémon Center.

"Do you think Serena is all right?" Clemont said. Ash and I turned to him.

"She seems to be handling this well," I said. "Although, she could be faking it."

"Maybe she thinks it was her fault that she lost."

"Serena will be fine," Ash said. "She's strong. She'll get through this."

Clemont smiled. "You're right."

* * *

"It's your turn to receive the focus, Ash," Serena said. Ash perked up from his glass of juice. "Your Gym battle, right? You're moving on to get your fifth badge."

"That's right!" Ash said. "Today was so wild that I forgot..." Ash set the glass down and turned to Clemont. "Fifth one, huh?"

Clemont smiled. "Our anticipated gym battle has finally arrived. I've been waiting a long time for this day to come."

Ash stood from his seat. "Tomorrow, we set off for Lumiose City," he said. He pumped his fist in the air. "Now I'm getting excited again!"

I glanced at Serena, who watched Ash with a quiet, sad smile.

* * *

"All right!" Ash slung his backpack over his shoulders. "Lumiose City, here we come!"

"Wait a minute," Bonnie said, glancing around the room, "where's Serena?"

"Ta-da!" We turned and gasped when we saw Serena. Her long, honey blonde locks were drastically cut to chin-length. She wore a light pink dress with cap sleeves, her black shirt underneath and the white collar sticking out. Her skirt had been changed to a sleeveless cardigan. A blue ribbon rested in a bow on her collar. She switched her black sneakers for brown boots. The only think that remained unchanged in her outfit was her pink hat and black thigh-high socks. "What do you think?"

"Serena?!" Ash said.

"What happened to you?!" Clemont said.

"What have you done to your hair?!" Bonnie said.

Serena smiled and flipped her hair. "I wanted to try something new."

"Well, it looks great on you," I said.

"Thank you."

Ash's eyes focused on the blue ribbon. "Hey, that's-"

Serena reached up and touched the ribbon with a light blush on her cheeks. "It's the ribbon you gave me."

"I'm glad you're using it!"

Serena smiled brightly and hurried to the door. "All right, what are we waiting for? Lumiose City is waiting for us!" She dashed out of the Pokémon Center. "You better keep up, or I'll leave you behind!"

"Hey, wait up!" Bonnie cried as we chased after her.

"Running? _Really_?!" Clemont groaned.


	39. Taking Action

Serena turned her Town Map around for us to see. "Once we get past these Badlands, we'll be one step closer to Lumiose City."

"All right!" Ash said.

We turned to face Clemont, who lagged behind with Luxio. He doubled over and panted.

"Are you doing all right, Clemont?" Bonnie said.

Clemont glanced up and found my gaze. I flashed a smile. Clemont stood straight and smiled back.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Clemont said. "I've constantly been planning my strategy for our Gym battle."

"Me, too," Ash smiled. "As soon as we reach Lumiose City, we'll have our battle."

Clemont nodded. "Let's take a break and have some lunch."

On cue, Ash's stomach rumbled. "I agree."

* * *

~CLEMONT~

"I'm hungry," Bonnie grumbled from her seat at the table. Serena wiped down the surface with a cloth. "What's taking so long?"

"Patience, Bonnie," I said. "Lunch will be ready soon."

"Make sure you fill up, Pikachu," Ash said behind me. I heard the air break when he punched his fist into it. "We'll need all the energy we need for our Gym battle." I snuck a glance at him over my shoulder. "You know what they say: 'No army can fight on an empty stomach.'"

" _I've_ never heard that before..." Bonnie said.

"Clemont?" I flinched, my grip tightening on the ladle I used to stir lunch. I turned and met eyes with Rylee, who appeared at my side. " _Are_ you all right?"

I sighed through my nostrils and returned my focus to stirring. "I'm a little surprised that Ash remembered our promise- that he would fight me and only me for his fifth Gym Badge against the Lumiose Gym. Since we first started traveling together, I've learned a lot from him. I've witness countless times how strong he can be, both during and outside of battle. I wonder... if I'm worthy enough to fight him."

In my peripheral, Luxio and Rylee watched me thoughtfully.

"You've been thinking about this for a while, haven't you?" Rylee said.

I looked up at Rylee and nodded. "Yes, I have." I lingered my gaze on her before returning to the meal.

 _Among other things..._

* * *

We finished, cleaned up lunch, and continued moving. At the crest of the hill, I squinted my eyes from the reflection of the harsh sun.

"What's that?" Ash said. I looked past him and at the tall, metal structure in the distance.

"That's the Kalos Power Plant," I said.

"Clemont built that!" Bonnie said.

"N-No, no, I didn't _build_ it. I helped with the programming." I scratched the back of my head. "The Power Plant directly generates solar power in space and transmits it to earth via microwaves. The power gets stored in the dam of a superconducting ring, which is then sent to Lumiose City. This Power Plant is what gives Lumiose City its electricity."

"Let's go and take a closer look," Serena said.

"Good idea! We might run into some rare Electric-type Pokémon!" Ash said.

We hurried over to the Power Plant. We stopped at a small plateau that surrounded the base of the Power Plant. I leaned my head back and gazed at the structure.

"Huh?" I said. The others turned to me.

"Is something wrong?" Ash said.

I pointed to an antenna propped on the central prong of the building. "That's a parabolic antenna. It usually faces upward..."

"Maybe something happened," Serena said.

"Let's check it out," Ash said.

We slid down the side of the plateau and jogged towards the Power Plant. Pikachu stumbled to a stop and clutched the sides of his head. His red cheeks flickered with electricity, and he winced.

"Pikachu, what's wrong?" Ash said.

"Hey!" We turned to Bonnie, who looked down at Dedenne. "Something strange is happening to Dedenne!"

The same soon happened with Luxio. Dedenne leaped from its spot in Bonnie's bag and crawled away. The three Electric-types groaned in agony as electricity bounced off their cheeks.

"What's happening?" Rylee said.

The agony stopped all at once. The three Pokémon turned silent. They turned their backs to us and staggered towards the Power Plant.

"Hey, Pikachu! Where are you going?!" Ash called.

Our Pokémon and whirled around. Their eyes glowed bright red. A gasp escaped from Rylee. Electricity consumed their bodies, and they unleashed a giant attack on us. Rylee leaped in front of us and cast Protect. The electricity ricocheted off and into the sky. The impact kicked up a cloud of dust. When the dust subsided, we watched our Pokémon head for the Power Plant.

"Dedenne!" Bonnie cried.

"Come on!" Rylee said, and she ran ahead. We followed her to a large rock close to the Power Plant. We hid behind it and peeked out.

At the doors of the Power Plant, a large crowd of Pokémon stood. Many different Electric-types were there: the Magnemite family, Emolga, Electrode, Heliolisk, and Pachirisu to name a few. Pikachu, Dedenne, and Luxio joined the crowd.

"What's happened to these Pokémon?" Serena said.

"I recognize those glowing eyes," Rylee said. "They're being mind controlled. Ash and I had a run-in with this back in Unova."

Ash perked up. "That's right. Team Plasma used a device that emitted these special waves that affected Pokémon and forced them to do their bidding," he said. "Maybe something like that is happening here."

"But what?"

The doors opened, and the Pokémon entered the Power Plant. We sprinted for the doors, but they closed before we got there.

"Maybe whatever is controlling Luxio and the others is within this Power Plant," I said.

"Is there any other way inside?" Bonnie said.

I turned to Rylee, expecting her to speak up. I flinched when I saw her eyes were already on me.

"You lead the way, Clemont," she said. "This is your Power Plant."

I recollected myself and nodded. I cupped my chin in my hand. "I once caught a glimpse of the blueprints for this area, but I'm afraid it was only once..." I looked to Rylee. "Do you mind helping me?"

Rylee smiled and nodded. She reached out and rested her hand on my shoulder. She closed her eyes for a few moments before tightening her grip. Memories flooded into my mind of the blueprint. I studied the still image.

"Aha!" I cried. I pointed past the bridge. "There are some vents below this bridge. We can get inside through there."

Rylee summoned a platform of Protect, and we climbed on. She lowered us to the small canyon below. Two vents sat underneath the bridge, each with rapidly spinning fans.

"We need to stop these fans if we want to get inside," I said.

"I got this," Ash said, pulling a PokéBall from his pocket. He called out Frogadier. "Frogadier, we need you to stop those fan blades."

Frogadier saluted and turned to the blades. He reached into the Frubbles wrapped around his neck and threw clumps of it at the blades. The Frubbles slowed the blades and brought them to a stop.

"Watch your head," I said as I stepped inside first. "Rylee, can you maintain the memory of the blueprints for me?"

Rylee nodded and glowed green. She transformed into her Celebi form and sat on my shoulder. She placed her tiny hand against my cheek, filling my mind with the still image of the blueprints. As we traveled further through the vents, they became smaller and narrower. We switched to our knees and crawled down the vent.

"The vents are piped to all rooms in the building," I said. "No matter where the Pokémon are, we can reach them through here."

A ventilation gate appeared up ahead, leaking light into the dark vents. I crawled over to the gate and peered inside.

"There's a room right here," I said. I gasped when I saw three workers tied together. "There are people in here!"

The workers perked up. "Is someone there?" one of them called.

I glanced at Rylee, who now sat on my backpack. She nodded, pointed a finger at the gate, and fired a small Hyper Beam at the screws. I pushed the gate, and it flew open. We crawled out and into the room below.

"Who are you?" a worker said. "You're working with _them_ , aren't you?"

"Them?" I said. "We're not here to cause trouble, we're here to stop whatever really is."

Ash and I untied the workers. They stood up and rubbed their sore wrists.

"My name is Clemont. I'm the Gym Leader of Lumiose City," I said. "This is my sister, Bonnie, and my friends, Ash, Serena, and Rylee."

"What's happened here?" Rylee said, now in her human form.

"This strange trio of bad guys appeared and took control of the place," a worker said.

"Trio...?" Rylee sighed. "I think we know who you're talking about. What do they look like?"

"The trio is made up of a man, a woman, and a Meowth."

"A Meowth who can talk!" another worker chimed in.

"Team Rocket," Ash mumbled.

"They appeared disguised as survivors who had lost their way, so we let them inside to shelter them from the heat. When we did let them inside, they captured us, and tied us up, and locked us in here."

"They changed the program. By moving the parabolic antenna, the microwaves were transformed into waves that control any Electric-type Pokémon that enter its range," the third worker said.

"Where are they now?" I said.

"At the heart of the Power Plant. There's a control room near the superconducting ring; no doubt they're still there."

Rylee gripped my shoulder, and the blueprints reappeared in my mind. "There's a clear route to the heart. We should make it there easily," I said.

"Those guys have locked all doors."

"We may be able to do something from the sub-control room, though," the first worker said. "Leave the doors to us. You kids go and help those Pokémon."

"How are we going to stop Team Rocket from controlling the Pokémon?" Rylee said.

The second worker cupped his chin in his hand. "There might be a way... If we make the electricity flow backward, an overload could stop the radio waves for a bit. We can take care of that, but it will take some time. Wait until the superconducting ring turns from blue to red; that will be the signal."

"And when that happens, I'll take it from there. I'll create an electric surge that will overload the system and free the Pokémon," I said. I turned to the door. "Let's get out of here."

"We'll use brute force for this one! Hawlucha, Karate Chop!"

"Bunnelby, Double Slap!"

"Pancham, Arm Thrust!"

"Sylveon, Swift! Zoroark, Shadow Claw!"

The combined force of our Pokémon blew the door clean off its hinges. It smashed into the wall.

"Let's go!" I said. We hurried out of the room and down the hallway. The workers ran in the opposite direction. I led the way to the control room. "Here it is."

 _"We'll unlock it for you,"_ said a worker through the intercom next to the door. _"Please, be careful. We don't know what may lie beyond this door."_

The door opened. Rylee turned invisible and stepped inside. A few moments later, she returned to us, turned visible, and nodded to us; the coast was clear. We snuck inside and hurried to a nearby pillar. We peeked our heads out. The Pokémon stood in front of the superconducting ring.

"There's Pikachu," Ash said. "Luxio and Dedenne, too."

I followed his gaze to our Pokémon, who stood on the outer ring of the group.

 _"You twerps call_ that _hiding?"_ James said over the intercom. We looked at one another with wide eyes. _"You're too late; the Pokémon, as well as Lumiose City's power, are under Team Rocket's control now!"_

 _"If you try to interfere, we'll plunge Lumiose City into a panic,"_ Jessie said.

A screen appeared in front of us, showing a view of Lumiose City. A bar quickly drained, taking away the city's power. Stoplights stopped working, and cars screeched out of control. Lights went off in buildings. Elevators stopped mid-travel.

Ash grit his teeth. "Fine. We'll do what you say."

 _"Smart choice,"_ Meowth said.

Ash glanced over his shoulder and at me. "Clemont, is it time yet?"

I snuck a glance at the superconducting ring, which still glowed blue. "Not yet..."

Wall panels around the room lowered, revealing more parabolic antennae. A low hum filled the air. Slowly, the horde of controlled Pokémon turned to us, each flickering with electricity.

"What's happening?!" Bonnie cried.

"Everyone, hide!" Ash cried.

Rylee turned to us. "Go," she said. "We'll take care of this."

Serena took Bonnie's hand and led her away. I gulped and looked up at Rylee. She nodded, a determined scowl on her face, and hurried to Ash's side.

"Clemont!" Bonnie called. I gripped my backpack straps and ran over to the others. I looked over at Ash and Rylee as they stood before the crowd of Electric-types. I grit my teeth.

 _What can_ I _do...?_

* * *

~RYLEE~

"Rylee," Ash said. "I want you to help me get to Pikachu. I need to get him back."

I nodded. "No problem."

Pikachu, his eyes glowing bright red, unleashed a Thunderbolt at us. I stretched my hand out and summoned a shield of Protect. I held it close to my body.

"Let's go," I said. Slowly, we crept closer to Pikachu.

"Pikachu!" Ash called. "It's me, your buddy! You've got to snap out of this!"

When we were close enough, Ash fell to his knees and reached out to Pikachu. I noticed his expression change, and his Thunderbolt ceased.

A large force rammed into my Protect. I crashed into Ash, and he flew to the ground. I slid back on my feet, and the Protect vanished. Luxio stood in front of Pikachu, his teeth bared. Luxio charged again. I scowled and braced myself.

"No!"

A pair of hands grabbed my arm and pulled me back with all their might. I gasped as I tumbled to the ground. Bright, yellow light ignited behind my eyelids. I pushed myself up on my elbows and looked up.

A gasp escaped my lips. My eyes widened and shook as I saw flashes of blue within the electricity.

"Clemont!" I cried.

* * *

~CLEMONT~

My entire body was overcome with searing pain. Luxio's teeth were embedded into my shoulder, which unleashed a nasty Thunder Fang.

"Clemont! Clemont!" Through the crackling electricity, I heard Rylee's voice. My arms were wrapped tightly around Luxio's neck.

"Luxio..." I said through gritted teeth. "It's me, Clemont."

The humming waves grew deeper and thicker. Luxio released me, his expression changed.

"Luxio?" I said. His eyes glowed even brighter, and his ferocious scowl returned. Opening his mouth wide, he clamped down on my shoulder again and unleashed more electricity. I screamed as the pain ripped through me.

" _Clemont_!" Rylee cried.

"Luxio... I'm sorry," I whispered. "This must be so painful. You must be suffering. I'm sorry." I squeezed my eyes shut. "But I won't give up. I'll never give up. I have to be strong... like you... like Ash... like Rylee."

I opened my eyes and craned my head to my friends. Rylee stared at me in horror, her eyes trembling. Ash's arms were around her to keep her from acting.

 _I've seen her pain; it's eating away at her, killing her inside... I've got to do something about it. I've got to make it stop!_

I tightened my arms around Luxio.

 _Making that PokéVision video was my first message... but does it even reach all the way to Unova? To my intended audience? There's no way for me to know. Chili and Zoroark are right; I need to do more... I need to save them._

The area turned red. I looked up at the superconducting ring, which had changed from blue to red.

"This is it. Clemontic Gear, on!" My Aipom Arm extracted from my backpack and clung to the ground. "Luxio, I will serve as your grounding. Keep discharging!"

Luxio nodded. Electricity scattered across the room and struck the parabolic antennae stationed on the walls. The red tint vanished, leaving the room dark. Luxio's discharge ceased, and the pain left my body. His eyes, along with the eyes of all the other Pokémon, had returned to normal.

"Luxio... You did it," I panted quietly. I pet the top of his head, and he smiled. Exhaustion swept through my body. I closed my eyes and fell forward.

A pair of arms circled around me and kept me kneeling upright. I opened my eyes and caught a glimpse of brown hair.

"...Rylee?" I said.

"Are you all right? I was so worried." Rylee pulled away, gripped my shoulders, and scowled. "Don't _ever_ do anything stupid like that again, you hear me?!"

I smiled and chuckled. "Thanks, Rylee."

Rylee's anger faded, and she pulled me into her arms again. I weakly returned the hug.

A glowing, light blue filled my vision. I pulled away and looked at the source. I gasped; it came from Luxio.

"L-Luxio?" I said.

"It's evolving!" Rylee cried.

Luxio grew larger in side. The light faded, revealing Luxray. Luxray leaned his head back and roared. Rylee and I stood.

"Luxio..." I said.

Luxray's body glowed with electricity. The electricity spread across the floor.

"That's Electric Terrain!"

The electricity climbed up the walls and destroyed the parabolic antennae, ruining Team Rocket's chances of taking back control.

"Clemont," Rylee said. I looked over my shoulder and at the freed Pokémon. I glanced at her and nodded.

"Now it's our turn to counterattack. Ready, Luxray?" I said. Luxray nodded.

"Let's do this, Pikachu!" Ash said, stepping to our side. "Everyone, give it all you've got! Now!"

Each Electric-type unleashed a powerful stream of electricity. The electricity gathered together and soared towards the control room, where Team Rocket was. There was a large explosion, and Team Rocket blasted off into the sky.

"We did it," I sighed. I threw my arms around Luxray. "We did it!"

* * *

"I really am sorry for all the damage we caused," I said to the Power Plant workers outside of the Plant.

"Please, it's no problem," a worker said. "Because of you, this Power Plant, as well as Lumiose City, is safe. Thank you."

"The subsystem is supplying Lumiose with power just fine," the second worker said. "It will be strong enough to handle the work while we repair everything."

"I'm glad," I said. I turned to my friends. "Thanks, guys. If it weren't for you..."

"You mean _you_ , Clemont. You saved Lumiose City," Ash said.

"Ash is right. We wouldn't have been able to do anything without your help," Serena said.

I smiled. "Thank you."

The air stirred with the swish of helicopter propellers. We lifted our eyes and watched a helicopter land on its designated pad. One of the Power Plant workers opened the door and climbed inside.

"I'll go report today's incident at the head office in Lumiose," he said.

As I stared at the spinning blades, my heart quickened its pace. I took a deep breath and stepped forward.

"Will you take me with you?" I said. My friends gasped behind me.

"Uh, yes, of course..." the worker said.

"Clemont, are you sure?" Ash said. "We'll go with you-"

I turned to Ash. "No. I'm going alone. It will give me time to prepare for our Gym battle... as well as give me time..." I looked to Rylee. "...to sort out my thoughts." I looked to Ash again. "By the time we meet again, I will give you a battle that is worthy of a Gym Leader."

Ash smiled. "I get it. Just know that I won't lose, no matter what. I'm going to put everything I've learned into this battle."

I nodded and reached out a hand. "Me, too." Ash shook my hand. I looked to Serena. "Serena, please take care of Bonnie."

"She'll be in good hands," Serena said.

"I-I-I'll be fine!" Bonnie cried through teary eyes.

Finally, I turned to Rylee.

"Are you sure about this?" she said.

I nodded. "Yes. There's something that I have to do." I closed my eyes and bowed my head.

 _I'm done with watching from the sidelines._

I opened my eyes and looked at Rylee, who watched me with a warm smile. She nodded.

"We'll see you soon, then."

I nodded, turned on my heel, and approached the helicopter. The worker held out his hand, and I accepted it and climbed aboard. Luxray leaped to my side. I strapped a brace to my waist to keep me in the vehicle. The helicopter lifted off the ground. I waved to my friends as they soon became ants.

* * *

I removed my backpack and set it on my work table. I laced my fingers together and stretched my arms above my head. My arms fell to my sides, and I looked out the window. Lumiose City glowed in the sunset. I took a deep breath, reached into my pocket, and pulled out the PokéBalls inside. I tossed them into the air and called out Luxray, Bunnelby, and Chespin.

"All right, guys. We need to start preparing for our Gym battle against Ash," I said. "...But first, I need you all to promise... that you won't tell Rylee what I'm about to do."

My Pokémon tilted their heads curiously. It was strange not to understand them; I bet Ash felt the same way during his break between Unova and Kalos.

I sat down at my computer desk. I opened the top drawer, reached inside, and slapped a piece of paper on the desk. I took a deep breath and cracked my knuckles.

"Okay," I whispered. I plucked a pencil from the overfilling cup next to my computer. "Let's do this."

I pressed the tip of the pencil against the paper and began to write.

 _"To the Striaton Gym..."_


	40. Mega Evolution Special III

The helicopter blades cut through the air, creating a constant _whoosh_ -ing sound. Mairin leaped from her seat and tugged the door open. The blades kicked up wind, and I held onto the rim of my hat to keep it on my head.

"Wow," Mairin said as she and Chespie hurried closer to the edge of the roof. She threw her arms out to the sides. "What an incredible view! I've never seen Rustboro City before. Heck, I've never been outside the Kalos region before!"

"I thought the same myself once. Traveling is a lot of fun," I said.

"Maybe we can visit the Unova region next! What kind of Pokémon live there?"

I chuckled. "I've seen some fascinating ones. I've even met the legendary Pokémon, Reshiram."

Mairin's eyes twinkled. "Really?! Were you afraid?"

"Not really. Under what may seem like a tough disposition, he has a good heart."

"He?"

Alain hopped out of the helicopter. "I'm heading inside." With his hands in his pockets, Alain headed for the door.

"Hey, wait!" Mairin and Chespie scrambled over to Alain's side. "Can't you at least _pretend_ to be excited to be here?"

"I have important business matters to attend to," Alain said. "Don't get in my way."

Mairin scowled and mumbled under her breath. We approached the entrance to a large skyscraper, which was Devon Corporation. The company belonged to Steven Stone's father, Joseph Stone. We greeted Steven at the door and went inside.

Inside a large and spacious room, Steven pulled up a screen. Multiple images appeared on the screen.

"This is footage that was captured from the sea about one hundred miles from the city," Steven said.

 _"Here is our footage,"_ said Lysandre's voice on the other side of the screen. More video appeared, showing a giant dust cloud from different angles being created by a tiny object.

"What is that?" Alain said.

"We suspect it to be the Continent Pokémon Groudon," Steven said.

My breath caught in my throat. "Groudon?" I said.

"What's it doing here?" Alain said.

"We're not sure... but I have my suspicions."

"That's a Pokémon?" Mairin said, stepping away from the window and to my side.

 _"There's something else you should see,"_ Lysandre zoomed in on the video, giving us a closer look at Groudon. Its appearance was different; in fact, some parts of its body were glowing.

Steven's eyes widened. "Is that Primal Reversion?"

"What's Primal Reversion?" I said.

"According to what I've read, it restores the Pokémon to its original appearance... as well as the power they once had."

"But if Groudon is here, that means..."

"What? What's going on?" Mairin said, tugging my sleeve.

"Mairin, I told you not to get in the way," Alain said.

"I'm asking a question! Am I not allowed to do that, too?!"

 _"Breaking news!"_ A news report covered the screen. It showed the heat signature of a moving creature. _"We've captured footage of a large creature deep in the ocean heading for Sootopolis City!"_

"Oh, no," Steven's face paled.

 _"Kyogre, the Sea Basin Pokémon,"_ Lysandre said. _"Has it come to destroy the world?"_

"Destroy?" Mairin said quietly.

"First Rayquaza, and now Groudon and Kyogre? All members of the weather trio... This can't be good," I said. Mairin gripped my jacket sleeve. I turned to her and Alain. "Groudon and Kyogre have clashed together for the past thousands of years. Their battles have almost destroyed the world several times. Only Rayquaza able to quell their anger."

"The legend traces back to long, long ago. It's believed that Kyogre and Groudon fought over the power of the megalith, the giant rock we discovered at the excavation site. Now they're back, and they're heading straight for each other," Steven said. "And with this Primal Reversion, who knows if they can be stopped?"

 _"If the energy we've detected off the coast of Rustboro City really does indicate the appearance of the legendary megalith... Then we know exactly where these Primal Pokémon are going to meet,"_ Lysandre said.

"And when they do meet, the world may..."

"It won't," I said. "There must be something we can do to prevent this."

Alain stepped forward. "Director, N and I will go to the site." I looked at him in surprise.

Lysandre nodded. _"Best of luck."_ The video chat ended.

"I'll go with you," Steven said. "I'll prepare a helicopter to take us there."

The three of us headed for the door.

"W-Wait!" Mairin cried. We paused and turned to her. "Won't it be dangerous? You might get hurt!"

"We'll only be observing the situation from the sky," Steven said. He went ahead. The door closed behind him.

"What about you guys? You got hurt the last time."

Alain reached up and gripped his shoulder. "I'm fine; it hasn't bothered me." Alain turned to the door. "There's no time to waste."

"I'm not going."

"I see."

"You shouldn't go, either!" Mairin held her hands tightly against her heart. "I'm scared... Aren't _you_? Last time, Rayquaza was so angry... and he was so powerful by himself. There's no way you can do anything with _two_ Pokémon like that! You won't walk away with just an injury... you won't walk away at all!"

Alain bowed his head. "I made a promise to Lysandre," he said. I stole a glance at him. "I promised I would gain power and become strong. I have to become the strongest."

"And how far are you willing to go to get that power? So far that you're crazy enough to try and stop the world's destruction?"

Alain clenched his fists. "What do _you_ know about it?!"

Mairin choked back her words.

"Alain..." I said.

Alain shoved his hands in his pockets. "I've changed my mind. N, take Mairin back to Kalos."

Alain walked towards the door.

"Wait! Alain!"

Mairin ran after him, but the doors closed in his face. She collapsed to her knees and bowed her head. Chespie scurried to her side and rested his paw on her leg. Slowly, I walked over and knelt next to Mairin.

"I don't... want anything bad... to happen to you two..." she whispered.

I sighed quietly and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Nothing will," I said. Mairin looked up at me with teary eyes. "I promise."

Mairin wiped her eyes. After a few seconds of pause, she leaped to her feet and threw the door open.

"Hey-! Mairin!" I climbed to my feet and chased after her.

 _"H-Hey! Wait up!"_ I looked behind me and saw Chespie lagging behind. I waited for him to catch up, then I picked him up and continued to run.

I chased Mairin to the rooftop of Devon Corporation. She stood on the concrete and watched a helicopter fly away.

"We're too late..." Mairin said.

I stepped to her side and followed the disappearing helicopter. I looked towards the ocean, orange from the setting sun.

"No, we're not," I said. "There's still a way."

"How?"

"Are you afraid of heights?"

"Huh? No..."

I smiled and plucked the Poké Ball hanging next to my locket.

"Aegislash!" I called as I tossed the Poké Ball in the air. It opened, and Aegislash came out. "We're going after that helicopter. Use Protect!"

A platform of Protect appeared before us. I stepped on and crouched low.

"Let's go," I said, offering my hand to Mairin. She took it and climbed on. She knelt on the Protect and gripped my arm.

The Protect lifted off the ground and took off. A cry escaped Mairin as she looked at the view below.

"I didn't know you could do this!" Mairin shouted over the wind.

"You learn a few things as you grow up," I said.

The further we flew towards the ocean, the hotter the air felt. Up ahead, a thick layer of molten lava covered the water. Mairin fanned her face. Sweat trickled down my face and neck.

Mairin shoved her finger forward. "There they are!"

"And there _it_ is," I said.

The helicopter and news aircrafts hung above Primal Groudon. It meandered slowly through the water, leaving a trail of lava in its wake. Groudon stopped and let out a piercing shriek. I winced, and Mairin covered her ears. A bright, swirling portal of energy opened.

"What is that?" Mairin said.

"It must have something to do with the megalith," I said.

Something flashed in my lower peripheral. I looked towards the ocean just as Primal Kyogre burst from the water. Bright balls of energy churned around Kyogre, and it launched large beams at Groudon.

"Origin Pulse," I whispered.

The smoke cleared, and Groudon threw its arms up into the air. Thick, large stalagmites burst from the water, one of them slamming into Kyogre's stomach, and exploded.

"Precipice Blades."

The news helicopters spiraled away. Kyogre crashed into the water. Groudon opened its mouth and launched flaming balls of rock, Eruption, at Kyogre. A dome of Protect covered Kyogre and shielded it from the attack. The inside of the dome glowed bright blue.

"Aegislash, pull back!" I cried. The Protect lurched back and away as the Protect dissipated. Sheer Cold spread through the air like an atomic bomb going off. Hot and cold slammed into each other. The impact made me and Mairin slide back on the Protect. Aegislash created a wall for us to fall back on.

When the light subsided, the ocean around us was covered with ice. Groudon stood, frozen in a thick block of ice. Steam rose from the ice as underneath glowed red. The ice shattered, and Groudon threw back its head and roared. High above them, the portal of energy swirled.

The side of the black helicopter opened.

"It's Alain!" Mairin cried. There was a thin, light blue stream, and Alain's Charizard emerged from its Poké Ball. It Mega Evolved and flew around Primal Groudon. Primal Groudon unleashed a powerful Solar Beam, but Mega Charizard dodged it.

I looked at Alain. "What are you doing?" I mumbled.

Primal Kyogre leaped from the water and towards the megalith. It opened its mouth as Ice Beam formed, and just before it could unleash it, Steven's Mega Metagross body slammed into it and sent it into the ice below.

"Are they trying to protect the megalith?" Mairin said.

"It looks like it," I said. We watched the two Mega Evolved Pokémon distract the Primal legendaries.

"What should _we_ do?"

"Stay back. It's too dangerous."

Mega Charizard lunged towards Primal Groudon with glowing white wings. He cut through it, his Steel Wing kicking up a cloud of smoke. As Mega Charizard turned to looked behind him, a Precipice Blade shot out from the water, slammed into his stomach, and exploded. Mega Charizard crashed into the ice below, creating a deep gash in the ice and burying itself underneath chunks of ice. Mega Metagross stopped, distracting by its fallen comrade. Kyogre fired an Ice Beam, and it hit Metagross.

A rope was tossed out of the helicopter, and Alain slid down it and to the ice. He sprinted towards Charizard.

"Aegislash," I said. Aegislash nodded and led us down to the ice. "Stay close to me or Aegislash, Mairin. Do _not_ leave my sight."

Mairin gulped and nodded. We hopped off the Protect and hurried to Alain. He tossed ice off Charizard, and Charizard stood up. He slumped back, and Alain caught him. He pulled out his Poké Ball and sucked Charizard into it.

Primal Groudon threw Primal Kyogre into the ice, followed by Eruption. The explosion knocked Alain off his feet and sent him crashing into a pillar of ice.

"Alain!" Mairin cried. One of the Eruption rocks headed straight for us.

"Protect!" I sprinted forward with my arm outstretched. A sword of Protect appeared in my hand, and I skidded to a stop in front of Alain. I swung the sword, and it connected with the rock. Sparks and cinders flew everywhere. Some of them landed on my arm, and I winced from the pain. With a burst of strength, I pushed the rock away. It landed in the water. I gripped my arm and panted.

"Alain! Are you all right?!" Mairin said as she knelt at his side. "Wake up, Alain!"

I turned and faced my friends. Mairin shook Alain as he lay unconscious on the ice. Steven tried to land the helicopter, but the ice shattered. Groudon fired a Solar Beam, and the impact broke off chunks of ice and tossed them towards us. I gripped the Protect sword and braced myself.

Mega Metagross flew in front of me and cast Protect. The chunks of ice bounced off and struck the ground. Metagross turned to me.

"Thank you," I said.

 _"It is not safe for you. Take your friends and find shelter,"_ Metagross said. I nodded and released the sword of Protect. Aegislash dispelled it. I turned on my heel and hurried over to Mairin and Alain. I draped his arms over my shoulders and lifted him into a piggyback ride.

"Let's go," I said. Mairin nodded, and we ran down the ice while Metagross blocked the falling shards of ice from the fighting Primal Pokémon. Those that strayed from his sight, Aegislash chopped in half and destroyed.

We stepped into an igloo. I sat Alain against the wall.

"I hope he'll be all right," Mairin said, her hands clasped tightly.

"He will be," I said. I turned to the boy and grimaced. _If only I had healing moves at my disposal..._

"The megalith!" I turned and followed Mairin's line of sight to the glowing portal of energy above Kyogre and Groudon. It grew bigger and brighter. The light dispersed, and the megalith floated in its crystallized form.

 _That's not just wanted by the Pokémon._ I clenched my fists. _This is what Lysandre wanted, no doubt._

The clouds parted, and beams of yellow energy rained down. A familiar, piercing shriek filled the air.

"That voice..." Mairin said.

Mega Rayquaza burst from the clouds and floated above Kyogre and Groudon. The Primal Pokémon attacked it with Solar Beam and Origin Pulse. Mega Rayquaza dodged the attacks and unleashed Draco Meteor, pelting the Pokémon. Groudon attacked with Eruption, which hit Mega Rayquaza and knocked it out of the sky and into the ice. Kyogre followed with Origin Pulse. Rayquaza collected itself, dodged it, and flew back into the air. It opened its mouth and unleashed a power Hyper Beam, directly hitting Kyogre. The Hyper Beam launched Kyogre back and into Groudon. Groudon growled and encased Rayquaza in Precipice Blades. The rocks exploded, but Rayquaza zoomed out of the thick smoke cloud. Its body glowed green as it flew over the water at immense speeds, kicking up tidal waves behind it. Rayquaza cut through Kyogre and Groudon with its Dragon Ascent. In the fiery explosion, Kyogre and Groudon reverted from Primal Reversion and disappeared.

Mega Rayquaza floated next to the megalith and examined the rock before letting out another roar.

"Rayquaza," I whispered breathlessly. "What power..."

"Alain!" Mairin cried. I turned as the boy opened his eyes.

"N?! Mairin?!" Alain said.

"Don't exert yourself. You took quite a beating," I said. Alain winced and gripped his shoulder. I turned back to the ocean.

A large, mechanical fin burst from the water. My eyes widened. _What is that?_

Rockets launched from the submarine and unleashed a blinding light. I shielded my eyes. When the light subsided, I looked and gasped. The megalith was gone. Mega Rayquaza looked around, but it was nowhere to be seen.

"What happened?" Mairin said. The submarine submerged into the water. I clenched my fists.

Rayquaza also saw the submarine. It roared, reverted from its Mega Evolved form, and flew back into the clouds.

Steven's helicopter lowered to the ice. The sun began to rise, and the three of us emerged from the igloo.

Mairin sighed and pressed a hand against her chest. "My heart is still racing."

"Mairin," Alain said. Mairin turned to him, "were you scared?"

Mairin bowed her head. "Yeah, I was... but I couldn't let you go off and get yourself killed!"

Alain smiled and patted Mairin's head. "Thank you. You two saved me."

Tears filled Mairin's eyes, and she threw her arms around Alain. Alain returned the hug. He looked up, and our eyes met. I breathed deeply out my nostrils and turned away towards the sunset.

 _Lysandre..._ I thought. _What are you planning?_

* * *

I peeked inside the dark bedroom. Mairin and Chespie were sound asleep. I closed the door behind me.

"She went out like a light," I said.

"No wonder. All the excitement exhausted her," Alain said. "Mairin told me what you did after Groudon knocked me out. Thank you."

I gripped my arm and felt the bandages underneath my jacket sleeve. "No problem."

"I've never seen any human do what Pokémon do."

"It runs in my family."

"Your sister does that, too?"

I chuckled. "Yeah. She's more experienced at it than I am."

"You are a strange man, N." Alain shook his head. Silence passed for a few moments. "You've mentioned having a sister a few times. She's in Kalos, right?"

"Yes. She's traveling with a friend she met back home in Unova."

"What's her name?"

"Rylee." I reached up and removed my locket. I held it in my hand and opened it. Alain looked over my shoulder and at the family picture inside.

"That's your family?" he said.

I nodded. "That's me, Rylee, and my parents. We're... a special kind of family."

"What do you mean?"

I chuckled and closed the locket. "Let's just say that my mom's the only normal one in the family."

A smile twitched at the corner of Alain's lips. "Maybe I'll run into her when we head back to Kalos."

"Maybe..." I paused as I put my necklace back on. My arms fell back to my sides. "Why did Lysandre take the megalith?"

Alain was silent. "He needs it."

"For what, exactly?"

"Research purposes."

I chuckled bitterly, pulled the rim of my hat over my eyes, and lowered my voice. "Is that the vague lie that he fed you?"

"Lysandre is a respected and honorable man," Alain snapped. "He's done so much for me, and I won't let you speak of him like that."

Alain's angry footsteps faded. I lifted my eyes to the now empty hallway.

* * *

The next morning, Steven summoned me and Mairin. We entered his office. He stood by the large windows overlooking the city with his hands clasped behind his back. He turned to us when we approached him.

"What is it, Steven?" Mairin said.

"Alain has left Rustboro City," Steven said.

"What?! Without us?"

"He should be back in Kalos by now. He said he didn't want to keep putting you two in danger."

I scowled. _Alain... you really don't see it, do you? In the end, you're just a child who's being manipulated for someone else's gain._

"I'm going back, too!" Mairin cried.

Steven smiled. "Well... May I give you a ride?"

Mairin smiled and grabbed my hand. "Alain's not getting rid of us that easily! Right, N?"

I looked down at the young redhead and smiled. "Right..."

 _We're not the ones in danger, Alain. How long until you realize it?_


	41. Detective Skills

Eureka pressed her face against the screen of the video chat. "Clemont! How have you been doing? Have you been eating enough? Are you staying on top of brushing your teeth?"

Clemont leaned away from the screen and chuckled. _"I'm doing fine, Bonnie. It's only been a couple of days._ I _should be the one asking_ you _those things."_

"Have you been training a lot?" Ash said.

Clemont nodded. _"I've been dividing my time between training and work. I just completed an invention."_

"Can we see it?"

Clemont smiled. The lights reflected off his glasses and hid his eyes. _"I thought you'd never ask! The future is now, thanks to science! I've figured out how to get rid of tedious cleaning for good!"_ Clemont stepped aside, and a robot shaped like a Gothitelle rolled by, its vacuum hand gliding across the ground. _"I call it the Fully Auto-maid-tic Gothitelle!"_

" _Boo,_ " Zoroark mumbled.

 _"This machine detects all objects with any dirt on them and polishes them until they sparkle!"_

The Gothitelle maid strolled by. It turned its head towards Clemont and unleashed its vacuum cleaner hand on his head. The side of his face plastered against the vacuum cleaner.

 _"W-Wait! I'm not dirt!"_ Clemont grabbed the vacuum arm and wrestled with it. The Gothitelle robot exploded and covered the screen with smoke. Clemont sat up, coughed smoke, and shook out his dirty hair.

"Now it's even _more_ dirty," Serena said.

 _"Back to the drawing board..."_ Clemont mumbled. He took off his glasses and cleaned them. _"So, how have things been with you all?"_

"It's been fun. We ran into Tierno. He showed us the Voltage Badge he received after he won a Gym battle against you," Ash said.

 _"That's great that you got to meet him again. I just recently had another battle against a new trainer named Sawyer. I won, but I have a feeling he'll be back. So, how long until you reach Lumiose City?"_

"Actually," I said, "we're _in_ Lumiose City."

Clemont perked up. _"What? Really?"_

"We wanted to surprise you!" Bonnie said. "It took all I had in me not to start running towards Prism Tower as soon as we got here!"

 _"Well, then, I guess I'll be seeing you soon,"_ Clemont glanced over his shoulder. _"I'll guess I'll clean up until you get here..."_

"We'll see you soon," Serena said. We hung up the call.

"Come on, come on! Clemont's waiting for us!" Bonnie said, squeezing Dedenne in her arms.

"I can't wait to have our gym battle," Ash grinned.

"Come _on_!" Bonnie pulled on Ash's arm and dragged him out of the Pokémon Center. Serena and I glanced at each other and laughed.

* * *

As Prism Tower grew closer, Bonnie's tiny feet moved faster. Soon, she was several feet ahead of us. She turned the corner and led us down a road leading up to the great building. At the entrance to Prism Tower, Clemont stood with Chespin and Clembot.

"Clemont!" Bonnie leaped into Clemont's arms. Clemont stumbled a bit before catching his balance.

"I missed you, too," Clemont chuckled as he patted her back. Pikachu and Chespin joined hands and spun around gleefully. Clemont set Bonnie down.

"It's great to see you all again," Clembot said.

"It's been a while," Ash said.

"How have you been, Bonnie?" Clemont said.

"Great! I'm glad to see you doing okay," Bonnie said. Her smiled shifted into a pout, and she folded her arms. "Although, you missed a _lot_ while you were away. Do you know how many heartbroken girls I had to comfort because you weren't there to accept their offer?!"

"Please say zero."

"You could form a new ocean with their tears!"

 _"I think that's exaggerating a little too much,"_ Sylveon said. _"There was only one girl, and she was just as confused as every other 'suitor'."_

"Thank goodness," Clemont said.

"You didn't see what I saw!" Bonnie protested. Clemont chuckled and patted Bonnie's head.

"I'd love to hear your stories later." Clemont stood straight and turned to Ash. "How has training been lately?"

"Great! I got to battle against Tierno, which helped a lot. I'm ready for our gym battle!" Ash said.

Clemont nodded. "Me, too. How about you, Serena? How's your performance coming along?"

"It's going great! I have something to show you," Serena plucked a Poké Ball from her backpack and tossed it into the air. The Poké Ball opened, and Braixen came out.

"Wow! Fennekin evolved! There are so many new things you could try in your performance now."

Serena nodded. "We're working on a new combination."

Finally, Clemont turned to me. I smiled.

"How are you, Clemont?" I said.

Clemont adjusted his glasses and smiled. "I've never been better." Clemont turned back to Ash. "Well, let's get this started."

* * *

Ash and Clemont stood on both sides of the battlefield. I stood with Serena and Bonnie on the sidelines, along with Dedenne, Pancham, Braixen, and my Pokémon.

"I'm so excited for this!" Serena squealed. "I don't know who to root for."

"That's always the downside to when friends battle; it's hard to choose who you want to win," I said.

"My brother came home in advance just to prepare for this day. I don't think he's going to hold anything back," Bonnie said. She stared at Clemont. "Although..."

"What?"

"I don't know what it is, but something just seems different about Clemont. The way he acted when we met again was unusual..."

I glanced at Clemont. "Really? You can tell?"

Bonnie placed her hands on her hips. "Of course! I'm his sister! There's nothing Clemont can sneak past me!"

"The Gym battle between Clemont and Ash will now begin," Clembot said from the referee box. The sidelines hushed.

"Are you ready, Ash?" Clemont said.

"You bet!" Ash said.

Behind Ash, the entrance doors opened. Officer Jenny stepped into the room.

"O-Officer Jenny?" Clemont said as she approached him. "What are you doing here?"

"You're Clemont, the Lumiose Gym Leader, correct?" Jenny said.

"Yes."

Officer Jenny pointed at Clembot. "And that is Clembot?"

"Yes..." Officer Jenny approached Clembot. Clemont chased after her. "Is something wrong?"

Officer Jenny pulled out a piece of paper and shoved it into Clembot's face. "Clembot, you are under arrest."

Clemont cried out. " _What_?! Arrest?!"

"Please come with me," Officer Jenny stepped behind Clembot and handcuffed him. She led him out of the Gym.

"W-Wait!"

* * *

"I-I have no idea what's happening! I haven't done anything wrong!" Clembot cried inside his jail cell.

"I know you're innocent. Perhaps there's been a mistake," Clemont said. "We'll go and speak to Officer Jenny and try to clear things up."

"Until then, wait for us," Bonnie said.

"Okay..." Clembot said.

We headed to the main room and met with Officer Jenny. She took us to her office and turned on her computer. Security footage played on the projected screen.

"Strange incidents have been occurring in Lumiose City. First, one of the three stars on a hotel's signboard was stolen. For the second incident, all the mannequins in a boutique on Vernal Avenue were found dressed in swimsuits and hung upside down." Officer Jenny said.

"Those _are_ definitely strange, but why would you think Clembot has anything to do with the incidents?" Ash said.

Officer Jenny faced the screen and pressed a button on her remote. The stills showed a robot matching Clembot in the act of the incidents.

"There's no way to go around it; Clembot is the one who is behind everything," Jenny said.

Clemont stepped closer to examine the image. "Zoom in on the robot," he said. Jenny did so. Clemont slammed his finger on the robot's zoomed-in head. "Look here! My Clembot has a dent on its head. This robot doesn't have one!"

"You can't say for sure with this video."

"So, there's another robot that looks like Clembot in Lumiose City?" Serena whispered.

"Clembot was with me the whole time!" Clemont said.

"Proof provided by relatives isn't permissible," Jenny said. "With this much evidence against Clembot, I had no choice but to arrest him."

Clemont bowed his head and clenched his fists. "We'll prove that Clembot is innocent!"

"Go ahead. I wish you luck."

* * *

As we left the police station, Meyer parked his moped and climbed off.

"Dad!" Bonnie cried. She hurried ahead and leaped into her father's arms.

"Welcome back, Bonnie. It's good to see you all again," Meyer said. "Have you seen Clembot?"

"Yes, but he's innocent," Clemont said.

"I know. Clembot would never do something like this."

Footsteps approached us. We turned and saw Alexa hurrying to greet us.

"Alexa!" Ash called. Alexa stopped next to Meyer and paused to catch her breath.

"I heard... about Clembot..." Alexa said. "The news is talking about how he's been arrested!"

" _News_ does _travel fast..._ " Zoroark said.

"Unfortunately, yes. It appears that there is another Clembot who has been committing crimes, and my Clembot is getting the blame," Clemont said.

"Jenny knows he's innocent, right?" Alexa said.

"She has footage captured by surveillance cameras of the other Clembot in the act."

"I've been investigating these cases, and it appears I'm not the only one. Blaziken Mask is also investigating the incidents as well."

Meyer laughed loudly- a little _too_ loudly. "Blaziken Mask? Is that what everyone's calling it?"

"Yes. He has a Mega Blaziken that helps him."

"A Mega Blaziken? Wow. I've never heard of this guy."

"I want to find him and ask if he's found any clues."

Meyer broke into a sweat.

 _"Is it me, or is this family just terrible at lying?"_ Zoroark said.

 _"Thank goodness. I thought I was the only one who noticed,"_ Sylveon said.

"What about the other Clembot?" I said. "It's possible that someone made a copy to do their dirty work. If we find it, then our Clembot's name will be cleared."

"But where, exactly, could it be?" Clemont said. "And how in the world did someone manage to create it?"

"You can't make a copy of it without blueprints, correct?" Alexa said.

"Yes."

"Where are the blueprints?"

"They're located on a computer in a room within Prism Tower."

"All right. I'll keep investigating on my end. Clemont, I want you and the others to start with that lead. Hopefully we can solve this case before the other Clembot tries anything again."

"Thank you, Alexa," Clemont said. He turned to us. "Let's get going."

* * *

Clemont sat in the desk chair and rolled closer to the desk. His fingers glided over the keyboard as he guided the computer to where he needed to go. A gasp escaped his lips.

"What's wrong?" Serena said.

"This computer was accessed outside of Prism Tower," Clemont said.

"And the blueprints?"

Another window popped up, and a cold sweat trickled down Clemont's forehead.

"Someone copied the Clembot's blueprints."

"Are you able to trace back to the other computer?" I said.

Clemont cracked his knuckles. "I believe so. Give me a moment." Clemont hunched over the keyboard, his fingers flying across the keys. Windows opened and closed rapidly. Clemont pressed one final button. All the windows closed, and a single, new one opened. "The computer that hacked Prism Tower is connected to the servers of the Robotics faculty at Lumiose University." Clemont pressed another button and pulled up a map of the computer room. One computer flashed. "That's the one! The blueprints are on this computer, as well as a copy of the programming."

An image of the other Clembot appeared on screen. Its exoskeleton was black instead of our Clembot's blue, and it looked much more polished and new.

" _This_ is the robot that's been wreaking havoc in Lumiose City," Clemont said.

"Dark Clembot," Bonnie mumbled.

Clemont leaned closer to the screen and clicked on another folder next to the blueprints. Other blueprints appeared on screen. "These are maps of an electric appliance warehouse and the Lumiose Museum."

"That must be where it's striking next," I said.

Clemont adjusted his glasses. "I'll download these blueprints so we can show them to Officer Jenny." Clemont removed a USB cord from his Aipom backpack and plugged it into the computer. A download window popped up with more information on it. "Belmondo... Is that someone's name?"

* * *

Officer Jenny cupped her chin in her hand. "Dark Clembot..." she said. "We analyzed the surveillance camera footage from before. You were right, Clemont; there was no dent on that Clembot's head."

"I told you, my Clembot is innocent. This Dark Clembot is the one who's been causing trouble for you," Clemont said.

"Where did you get this information?"

"Someone hacked into my computer and copied Clembot's blueprints. I traced it back, and found a keyword, "Belmondo"."

Officer Jenny sat straight. "Professor Belmondo?"

"So, you know him?" Ash said.

Jenny nodded. "He's a professor in Robotics at Lumiose University. Perhaps he was the one who stole Clembot's blueprints."

"You need to see this, too," Clemont said, pulling up a map. "This is a map of an electric appliance warehouse."

Jenny gasped. "Something just happened there earlier today!"

"Really?"

Jenny pulled up an image of the warehouse. Boxes of appliances were charred, and broken technology lay scattered on the ground.

"This took place just a few hours ago," Jenny said. "The damage dealt in these crimes are getting worse..."

"We also found a map of the Lumiose Museum. We think that's where Dark Clembot will strike next," I said.

"Now that we have proof, you must let Clembot go," Clemont said. Jenny folded her arms. "If we want to capture the Dark Clembot, we need my Clembot to help us! Please, Officer Jenny!"

Officer Jenny sighed. "Very well."

We followed her to the jail cells in the back of the police station. Officer Jenny unlocked the door, and Clembot stepped out.

"Forgive me for causing you trouble," Clembot said.

"It's not your fault, Clembot," Clemont said. "I need your help. Let's work together to catch the real culprit."

Clembot's eyes narrowed. "Of course! I will be happy to assist!"

* * *

"I've contacted the museum's staff and warned them. Please, be careful," Officer Jenny said. "Once you've lured Dark Clembot out, I'll catch him and Belmondo. I'll keep watch over there. If anything happens, let me know immediately."

"Thank you, Officer Jenny," Clemont said. Jenny nodded and jogged to her hiding spot. Clemont turned to us. "All right, everyone, here's the plan. Ash and Serena will guard the east and west sides of the courtyard. Bonnie, Sylveon, and I will guard the north and south sides. Rylee, you and Zoroark watch from up there." Clemont pointed to the spires on the roof. "Up there, you have a view of the entire courtyard. Stay invisible so no one can see you. As soon as Dark Clembot and Belmondo appear on the scene, let me know. Is everyone clear on their positions?"

"Yes, sir!" we all called.

Clemont chuckled nervously. "Good."

* * *

Night fell on the city. Prism Tower's lights cast a heavy glow behind me. I looked beside me to the other spire. I swiped my hand, creating a stream of Protect. Zoroark, on the other spire, did the same so our positions were known to each other while we were invisible. I lowered my eyes to the courtyard and saw my friends patrolling the four corners.

 _"Two o'clock,"_ Zoroark said. I turned my head in that direction and saw someone lurking behind the pillars.

 _"There's someone on the east side of the courtyard,"_ I said.

Clemont, on the opposite side of the courtyard, stopped and hurried that way. _"Got it."_

I lifted my eyes, and they widened. _"Twelve o'clock!"_

A figure walked on the roof and towards the windows.

 _"You go left, I'll go right,"_ Zoroark said.

We leaped off the spires, our feet hitting the roof with a synchronized thud, and we sprinted in our given directions. We looped around and to the opposite side of the roof. Dark Clembot stood in front of a window. I stretched my hand out and covered the window with Protect before Dark Clembot could open it. Dark Clembot pounded on the Protect.

A shadow leaped into the air and tackled Dark Clembot. Both Clembots tumbled down the slope of the roof and fell into the courtyard. The lurking man emerged from behind the pillars. Zoroark and I hopped down from the roof, and the others joined us.

"You're Belmondo, aren't you?" Ash called. Belmondo, a middle-aged man wearing a white lab coat, spun around to look at all of us.

"You copied my Clembot blueprints! What do you expect to gain from making your Clembot do all these horrible things?" Clemont said.

Belmondo grinned. "I want to train that robot into a criminal.

" _That was a quick confession,_ " Zoroark said.

"I saw the blueprints for your pathetic Clembot, and I knew that I could perfect it... and I did! Thus, Dark Clembot was born!"

Clemont shook with anger. "My blueprints are not to be used for any kind of dastardly schemes! Dark Clembot will never compare to my Clembot! You thought you could frame my Clembot for the things you've done, but it didn't work. Officer Jenny knows what you have done, and she's here to help stop you!"

"You little brat. Prove to me your Clembot is stronger! We shall see which robot is truly the perfect creation!"

Clemont went still. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He remained this way for several seconds before he opened his eyes again. "No."

" _No_? You have already surrendered?"

"I don't need to prove myself to you. I already know that my Clembot is stronger. I programmed it to be kind and compassionate towards other. It helps people, not causes trouble for them like yours has."

Belmondo laughed aloud. "You're a fool."

Clemont calmly pushed his glasses further up his nose. "It's over, Belmondo. Give yourself up, and no one has to get hurt."

Belmondo grit his teeth. "I won't let a bunch of children get in my way! Dark Clembot-!"

Before Dark Clembot could act, an invisible force slammed into it. Dark Clembot smashed through one of the pillars. Zoroark emerged from her invisible state and stood over Dark Clembot.

"W-What?!" Belmondo growled and pulled out a Poké Ball. "Magnezone-!"

A glint sparkled in Clemont's eyes as he looked to me. Immediately, I stretched my hand out. Protect wrapped around Belmondo's hands and encased them. I brought my hands together, and the Protect came together like magnets, cuffing Belmondo's hands behind his back.

It was then that I realized that I was still invisible. Clemont knew where I was?

Officer Jenny appeared on the scene. "Professor Belmondo, you're under arrest," she said. Belmondo grit his teeth and hung his head as Jenny handcuffed him. She led him out of the Museum courtyard. I dispelled the Protect, and my arm fell back to my side.

"Thanks, Rylee," Clemont said, suddenly at my side. I jumped, turned to him, and became visible.

"How'd you know I was standing here?" I said.

Clemont looked at me and smiled. "I looked for your presence."

My eyes widened as I thought back to his moment of silence from earlier. I smiled.

"Look at you," I said, patting his shoulder. "You know, you're becoming more like a Pokémon Guardian."

Clemont chuckled. "Thanks, but... I wouldn't be able to do it justice. I'll leave that to you."


	42. An Unbreakable Connection

Ash smiled dreamily as he held out his newly gained Voltage Badge. He turned it over in his fingers to view it from all angles. The ceiling lights reflected off the shiny surface.

"You've been staring at that badge since you got it yesterday," I chuckled. "You're going to get it dirty if you don't put it away."

"Sorry." Ash opened his backpack and retrieved his badge case. He placed the Voltage Badge in its place, closed the case, and tucked it away. "Getting a new badge is always a rush of emotions. If someone didn't snap me out of it, I'd stare at it for hours."

"Yeah, we all know about that. Remember when you got the Rumble Badge from Korrina? You were out for almost three days," Clemont said.

Ash chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. Alyssa entered the room and placed a teapot and a set of cups on the coffee table.

"Here you go," Alyssa said. "I let Professor Sycamore know you're here. He's attending to something at the moment, so he'll meet you in a few minutes."

"Thanks, Alyssa," I said. Alyssa nodded and stepped out of the room. Serena set the cups out and poured tea into them.

"So, what's next?" Bonnie said. "Which Gym are we heading to next?"

"Let me see..." Serena opened her Town Map. She turned it over so we could see the screen. "It looks like the next Gym is in Laverre City. It's actually not that far away."

"Awesome! Then we'll head to Laverre City next," Ash said. "And let's not forget about your showcases. Have you been practicing?"

Serena nodded. "While it's unknown where the next Pokémon Showcase will be, I've been going over our routine every day, physically and mentally." Her eyes glinted as she held her teacup tightly. "This time, I'm going to win."

"We're rooting for you!" Bonnie said.

Serena laughed. "Thanks."

Professor Sycamore stepped into the room. "Hello, everyone. I was told you guys stopped by," he said.

"Hey, Professor Sycamore," Ash said. "We wanted to say hello while we were still in town. How have you been?"

"Great! In fact, you're just in time. There's something I want you to see."

"What is it?!" Bonnie's eyes shimmered.

Sycamore chuckled. "Come with me."

We left the lounge and followed Professor Sycamore down the hall. Halfway down the hall, Sycamore opened the door leading into a research lab. Alyssa and Colress were inside. Colress hunched over a microscope. He said something, to which Alyssa scribbled it down on a clipboard.

"Here's what I wanted to show you," Professor Sycamore said, stopping in front of a machine covered in a beige blanket. He pulled the blanket off, revealing a machine as tall as Bonnie. A Key Stone and a purple, red, and yellow Mega Stone. "Some of my researchers discovered this Mega Stone while excavating a few weeks ago. I'm just about to test which Pokémon it's compatible with. I thought you might like to watch."

"Do it! Do it!" Bonnie cried. Dedenne squirmed in its bag.

Professor Sycamore looked to Alyssa, who nodded. She hurried over to a computer and readied it. Professor Sycamore took the Mega Stone and the Key Stone and placed it in the machine.

"How does it work?" Clemont said.

"This synchronizer will collect the waves radiating from the Mega Stone, which will then tell us what kind of Mega Stone it is," Sycamore said.

Garchomp poked its head into the room from the glass door to the Pokémon sanctuary. It stepped into the room and loomed over the machine.

"Do you want to watch with us?" Sycamore said. Garchomp tapped on the glass dome covering the Mega Stone, its claw clinking against the surface.

"Professor," Alyssa called from the computer. She turned, allowing us a view of the computer screen. Two lines merged together into one, rainbow line. "Analyzing is complete."

"Already? I thought it would take longer."

Alyssa nodded. "The Mega Stone is reacting to something."

We looked to the synchronizer, which Garchomp still leaned on. The Mega Stone glowed brightly. Garchomp looked to us and tilted its head.

"I see..." Professor Sycamore said. He turned to us. "It looks like this Mega Stone is a Garchompite."

"So, Garchomp can also Mega Evolve?" Ash said. Professor Sycamore nodded and petted Garchomp's head. "Can we see it?"

"Of course!"

Zoroark's ears perked up, and she turned her head to the glass door leading to the Pokémon sanctuary.

"Zoro-?" I said.

Zoroark leaped off my shoulder and cast Protect over the door. The glass shattered as the other side of the Protect exploded. Zoroark dispelled the Protect. Smoke drifted into the room.

"The Pokémon!" Colress said. He, Alyssa, and Professor Sycamore hurried into the sanctuary, jumping over the pile of shattered glass left from the explosion. They froze before a large robot shaped like Meowth.

"Hey!" Ash cried. "Show yourselves, Team Rocket!"

Two panels opened at the sides of the Mega-Mega Meowth's head. Jessie and James peered out. The mouth opened, revealing Meowth at the controls.

"How did you know it was us?" James said.

"We'd be crazy _not_ to know it's you behind all the trouble!" Bonnie said.

"Then we can skip the introductions," Jessie said. "We're here for Garchomp and its Mega Stone, so if you could kindly hand it over..."

"You're out of your mind!" Alyssa said.

"Okay, then, I guess we'll have to take it."

"My favorite way!" James said. The two retreated into the Mega-Mega Meowth. Meowth closed the panels.

The Mega-Mega Meowth lifts its arms. One hand shot out and grabbed the synchronizer, ripping it away from the machine it was plugged into. The other hand launched a net from its palm. We leaped out of the way, all except for Garchomp. The net encased Garchomp and reeled him over to Team Rocket.

"I don't see any other reason to be here, so we'll be off!" Jessie said. Rockets burst from the back of the Mega-Mega Meowth, propelling it into the air. The giant robot flew out of the giant hole it created in the glass ceiling.

"Rylee!" Clemont called. "Use the Invisible Signal Tracker!"

I looked to Zoroark. "I think he means you."

Zoroark nodded and transformed into a Fletchling. She picked up her wings and flew out of the sanctuary. Upon reaching the outside, she turned invisible.

"Garchomp..." Professor Sycamore said.

"Don't worry, Professor," I said, "we're using the best technology there is. We'll find Team Rocket and get back what's yours."

Professor Sycamore nodded. "Alyssa, Colress, tend to the Pokémon and make sure they're safe. If any were injured, take them to the infirmary."

The siblings nodded and hurried deeper into the sanctuary. Professor Sycamore turned to us.

"Let's hurry," he said. We nodded.

* * *

Professor Sycamore pressed his foot against the gas pedal, speeding us through the forest. Serena held the side of her hat and Bonnie held onto Dedenne so they would fly off. My friends crammed into the back seat while I sat in the passenger seat with Sylveon in my lap.

I looked up into the sky.

 _"Are you there?"_ I said.

Zoroark turned visible as she flew above us in her Fletchling form.

 _"You're a master at hide and seek,"_ Zoroark said. _"No way I can sneak past you."_

I smiled and rolled my eyes. _"Do you know where they are?"_

 _"I do. Follow me."_ Zoroark took off ahead.

"I'll give you directions, Professor," I said. Zoroark turned left. "Turn left here."

Professor cranked the wheel. The tires of the car screeched against the rocky dirt.

"Turn right." Sycamore obeyed. "Keep going straight."

"You're worried about Garchomp, aren't you, Professor?" Serena said.

"I am," Professor Sycamore said. "I don't want to imagine what Team Rocket is doing to it; the thought makes me sick."

"You two must be close," Clemont said.

Professor Sycamore nodded. "I've known Garchomp since he was a little Gible. My assistant at the time found it, and we brought it in to be treated. It was so afraid at first, and it destroyed everything in sight, but over time we grew close. I watched it evolve into Gabite, and from there into Garchomp." He grimaced. "I want to be there when it Mega Evolves. Team Rocket will not take that from me."

Professor Sycamore gasped and slammed on the brakes. We lurched forward in our seats. Professor Sycamore stared straight ahead.

"What's wrong?" Ash said.

"I... I heard Garchomp," Professor Sycamore said. He opened the car door and climbed out.

I turned to my friends, and we looked between each other.

"I didn't hear anything," Bonnie said. We climbed out of the car.

Professor Sycamore turned his head down an eastern path. "Garchomp is that way!"

"How do you know?" Serena said.

"I can't explain it, but... I just know it. Garchomp is nearby," Sycamore said. "I'm going ahead!"

Professor Sycamore took off down the path.

"What's going on?" Bonnie said quietly to Clemont.

Clemont pushed up his glasses. "It's just like with Diantha and Korrina. Pokémon and Trainer share a bond that goes beyond the knowledge of science. That bond links them together and makes them one," he said.

"Some say that people can share that bond," I said. I looked to Clemont, who watched me with wide eyes. I smiled and looked forward. "Let's go. Professor Sycamore needs our help."

We ran down the path. We saw Professor Sycamore standing at the edge of a cliff leading into a rocky valley. Purple waves of light curled from the valley

"Garchomp!" Sycamore cried. He leaped off the cliffside.

"Professor!" We hurried to the cliffside and looked into the valley. Zoroark transformed into her Zorua form and landed on my shoulder.

" _What's that horrible sound?_ " She winced and folded her ears and placed her paws over them. I heard the high-pitched noise, too, and it came from the Mega-Mega Meowth. Garchomp was sealed inside an energy cage, its eyes glowing red. The Garchompite sat in a collar around its neck. Professor Sycamore stood between Team Rocket and Garchomp.

"Stop it! You're hurting Garchomp!" he cried.

"So, it's the power of friendship that's keeping Garchomp from being under our control," James said. "Meowth, increase the output and drown it out!"

"Roger that!" Meowth called from within the Mega-Mega Meowth.

The noise grew louder, and I winced.

"Stop!" Sycamore said. He doubled over and covered his ears.

"Professor!" Ash cried. He hurried to the cliffside, but Serena and Clemont grabbed him.

"Don't, Ash! You'll get hurt!" Serena said.

Two silhouettes burst from the trees. Blaziken Mask and Mega Blaziken landed in front of Professor Sycamore.

"Mega Blaziken, stop those radio waves!" Blaziken mask said.

Mega Blaziken leaped into the air and swung its feet into the coin on top of Mega-Mega Meowth's head. The robot lurched back. The radio waves stopped. Professor Sycamore's knees buckled, but Blaziken Mask caught him before he could fall and jumped onto a nearby rock.

"How annoying," Jessie growled. "Come on, Meowth, stop slacking around!"

"Hold on! I'm working on it!" Meowth said.

The Mega-Mega Meowth stood up straight, and the radio waves started again. Garchomp thrashed around, roaring in agony. Zoroark buried her head in my hair.

"We have to stop Team Rocket from getting Garchomp to Mega Evolve," Professor Sycamore said. He looked up at Blaziken Mask. "Lend me your Key Stone."

"What?" Blaziken Mask said.

"If I can get Garchomp to Mega Evolve before Team Rocket does, I may be able to bring it out of the mind control. Please, Blaziken Mask!"

Blaziken Mask nodded. "Blaziken," he said, turning to his partner. Mega Blaziken nodded and reverted to its original form. A small slot in his belt opened, and Blaziken Mask pulled his Key Stone from it. He handed the Key Stone to Professor Sycamore.

Professor Sycamore pushed off the rock and onto the valley floor, clutching the Key Stone tight in his hand.

"Garchomp!" James said.

"Garchomp!" Professor Sycamore said.

"Mega Evolve!" they said at the same time.

Yellow waves of light burst from the two Key Stones. Purple waves burst from the Garchompite around Garchomp's neck. The light waves met, and Garchomp was overcome with light.

"The bond between Pokémon and Trainer is stronger than any man-made contraption," Clemont said.

The light subsided, revealing Mega Garchomp. Mega Garchomp threw back its head and roared. My friends and I climbed down the cliffside and to Blaziken Mask's side. Professor Sycamore stepped closer to Mega Garchomp.

"Garchomp!" he cried.

"Sorry to break the news to you, Professor, but Mega Garchomp is under the control of Team Rocket," James said. He and Jessie walked towards Mega Garchomp. "Your first order of duty is to take care of these annoying pests."

Mega Garchomp slowly turned and faced Professor Sycamore. He tromped towards him.

"Garchomp," Professor Sycamore said. "I know you're in there. Please, come back to us."

The two stood in front of each other.

"Garchomp!"

Mega Garchomp threw back his head and roared. Professor Sycamore closed his eyes. Mega Garchomp lowered its head and rested its forehead against Professor Sycamore's hand. The Key Stone in his hand glowed. Professor Sycamore opened his eyes and looked into Garchomp's, which was free from mind control.

"You did it," Professor Sycamore said. He threw his arms around Mega Garchomp. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"What?!" Team Rocket cried. James stared at the Key Stone pinched between his fingers. "How is this possible?!"

Professor Sycamore and Mega Garchomp faced Team Rocket. "Now, it's our turn. Garchomp, destroy those radio waves!"

Mega Garchomp leaped into the air. Reeling its arms back, it slices its claws through the Mega-Mega Meowth's head and cut it into pieces.

"R-Retreat!" Meowth cried.

Jessie and James hurried into their seats. The rockets on the back of the Mega-Mega Meowth started up, and the robot started to lift off the ground.

"Not so fast!" I called. Zoroark leaped off my shoulder and transformed into her original self. Sylveon wrapped her ribbons around Zoroark's arm and climbed onto her shoulder. I plucked Aegislash's Poké Ball from my necklace and tossed it into the air. Aegislash emerged from the Poké Ball and flew to my side. Zoroark and I leaped onto a nearby rock and pushed off, launching ourselves into the air and above Team Rocket. "Aegislash, Zoroark, Sylveon! Use Protect!"

Zoroark and I thrust our arms out. The four of us cast Protect and encased the Mega-Mega Meowth.

"Hey!" James cried.

"Foul play!" Jessie said.

Zoroark and I landed on top of the Protect. "They're all yours, Professor!" I called.

"Garchomp, use Hyper Beam!"

"Blaziken, use Flamethrower!"

"Let's join them, Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!"

The three Pokémon launched their attack. My Pokémon and I jumped off the Protect and onto the cliffside to get out of harm's way. The attacks combined. At the last second, the Protect vanished, and the combined attack slammed into the Mega-Mega Meowth. There was an explosion, and Team Rocket blasted off into the sky. I held up an arm to shield my face from the gust of wind. Once it subsided, I lowered my arm and gazed down at the charred pile of metal sitting on the valley floor.

Something glimmered in the sky, and Professor Sycamore's Key Stone fell to the ground. Professor Sycamore reached out and caught the Key Stone.

I let out a sigh and looked to my friends, who flashed me bright smiles and four thumbs-ups. I smiled and returned one.

* * *

I took a deep breath. "And that's my story," I said.

Professor Sycamore tapped the end of his pen against his chin. "Fascinating. To think that there are people out there capable of harnessing the power of Pokémon, right down to transforming into one! Thank you, Rylee, for disclosing this information with me. Are you sure it's okay that I know this?"

"It's no problem, really. Besides, I told you I would explain everything."

Professor Sycamore paused to take a sip from his teacup. "Pokémon Guardians... Now there's a subject I would love to dive further into. Tell me, have you ever met another Pokémon Guardian?"

"I have, but they've all been in the formal sense. My father, Brand, and my brother, N, are the only ones I know personally. N and I have been deployed on missions- I'm here with Ash while N is traveling with two people named Mairin and Alain."

Professor Sycamore stopped and stared at me. "Alain? Your brother knows Alain?"

"Uh, yes... Do you know him?"

"Alain used to be my assistant. He was for several years." Professor Sycamore reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. He pulled out a small picture and handed it to me. The picture was of Professor Sycamore with Gible and a young boy with black hair and blue eyes. The three of them smiled. "He left quite some time ago. He said he wanted to seek out more Mega Stones in order to solve the mysteries of Mega Evolution. I haven't seen him since. Tell me, is he okay?"

I handed the picture back. "I've never met Alain in person, but I've heard about him from N. If he's with my brother, then I'm certain that he's doing just fine."

Professor Sycamore relaxed. "Thank goodness. I've been worried about him for so long. I'm glad to know he's in good hands. If you ever do meet Alain, please tell him I said hello."

I nodded. "Of course."


	43. The Battle of the Wetlands

I knelt next to Sylveon and Zoroark and placed a bowl of food in front of each of them. "Eat up," I said.

Sylveon cheered gleefully, clapping her ribbons together. Zoroark dove nose first into her food. I plucked Aegislash's Poké Ball from my necklace and called it out. I grabbed another bowl of food and handed it to him. Aegislash held the bowl in the curve of his shield and pinched the pellets between his tassel fingers.

" _Thank you!_ " my Pokémon cried. I smiled in return.

"I'm glad you like it," Clemont said. "I tried some new recipes while I was away."

"Are there seconds?" Ash said, his mouth full.

"We _all_ have to have eat first, Ash," Bonnie said.

Clemont and I chuckled. A towering figure leaned between us, and I met Goodra's eyes. With a smile, he offered his bowl of food to me.

" _Have some,_ " Goodra said.

I held up my hands. "No, no, that food is for you to eat. I have some of my own."

Goodra pinched a few pellets off the top of the pile and placed it in my hand. I chuckled nervously.

"Thanks," I said. I took a pellet and popped it into my mouth. "Wow, that is good."

"Let me try!" Bonnie took a pellet from Pikachu's dish and ate it. Her face contorted. "It tastes weird..."

"Bonnie, that food's not for you, it's for Pokémon," Clemont said. "Which I guess also applies to Rylee."

Goodra nuzzled its cheek against mine. I shuddered from the slime coating my face.

"Now that I think about it, I've always noticed how friendly Goodra is towards you, all the way back to when it was a Goomy," Ash said.

"Well, I _am_ part Pokémon," I said. Goodra backed away, and I patted its nose. "My abilities help me connect with them. You could also take my Knight status into account. Most Pokémon can sense my authority, so it's easier for them to trust me."

Tires screeched above us. We looked up the slope and to the road, where a pickup truck had slammed on its brakes. A dust cloud rose from its tires. The driver's side door opened, and an elderly man poked his head out. A Bellsprout threw its door opened and ran down the hill.

" _It's you! It's you!_ " Bellsprout stopped in front of Goodra. " _Do you remember me?_ "

Goodra's eyes widened, and it leaned closer to Bellsprout. " _Bellsprout! I can't believe it's you!_ "

" _You got so big!_ " Bellsprout reached its leafy hands out, and Goodra took them.

"I thought I recognized you." The elderly man approached Goodra. He wore a beige fishing hat over his hair, a green vest over a light brown button-up shirt, and dark brown trousers. Goodra released Bellsprout and turned fully to the man.

 _"Keanan..."_ Goodra said. _"Is that really you?"_

Keanan nodded. "It's been a while, Goomy- or should I say, Goodra, now."

Goodra grinned and wrapped its arms around Keanan. Keanan chuckled and cupped Goodra's chin in his hands.

I stared dumbfoundedly at Keanan. "You understood Goodra?"

Keanan looked up. "I'm sorry, I'm being rude. What are your names?"

"I'm Ash, and these are my friends: Clemont, Bonnie, Serena, and Rylee," Ash said.

Keanan met my wild eyes. He stepped closer and examined Zoroark, who sat on my shoulder in her Zorua form. "What a cute Pokémon. I rarely see Zoruas around here- most of them live in Unova." Keanan leaned back and smiled. "But it's been a while since I've seen this Zorua specifically. I remember when it used to belong to your father."

I flinched. My friends glanced my way.

"You know my father?" I said, exasperated. "Who _are_ you?"

Keanan reached out a hand. "It's nice to meet you. My name is Keanan- a Pokémon Guardian, like yourself. This is my partner, Bellsprout."

" _Hiya!_ " Bellsprout cried, waving a leafy hand. Sylveon waved back.

I took his hand and shook it enthusiastically. "You're the first Guardian I've met here in Kalos. Everyone else I know is at Headquarters."

"I've long since retired from the work field. I live in the wetlands nearby, which is home to many Pokémon. I watch over them."

"That explains why Goodra's been especially friendly to Rylee," Serena said. "Goodra's been around Pokémon Guardians its entire life."

Keanan released my hand and looked to Goodra. "Yes, Goodra was one of the Pokémon that lived in the wetlands. In fact, I was supposed to raise it to one day become a Pokémon Guardian partner."

"But then you got separated," Clemont said. "We found Goodra when it was a Goomy a while ago, and it became one of Ash's Pokémon."

"Is that so? I'm glad to know that Goodra's safe and cared for by good people," Keanan said. He looked to Ash. Ash nodded quickly. Keanan smiled. "We were just on our way back to the wetlands. Would you like to come with us?"

"That would be so cool! I want to see Goodra's old home!" Bonnie said.

"What do you say, Goodra?" Ash said. Goodra looked away and bowed its head.

" _I... I don't know..._ " Goodra said.

" _But all of our friends are there. They've been so worried about you! You should come and put their fears to rest. Please?_ " Bellsprout said.

Goodra smiled in defeat. " _All right._ "

"Good. There's plenty of room in the bed for you all to ride in. I'll drive slowly so none of you fall off," Keanan said with a chuckle.

* * *

Keanan put the truck in park, and we climbed out of the bed. We stepped onto the porch leading to Keanan's house and onto the narrow walkway connected to it. The walkway traveled through the wetlands, allowing people a place to walk without getting dirty. A deep pond sat underneath us with lily pads floating on the surface. The roof of Keanan's house and the side walls were covered in green moss. The moss and grass consumed a large majority of the wetlands, with small ponds and lakes dotted here and there.

"How do you feel, Goodra? Does this place still look the way you remember?" Keanan said.

Goodra looked forward and scanned the area.

"You know, Goodra," Ash said, "I've been thinking about the memories that Rylee showed us back then- about that fight that happened before you were whisked away."

"Ah, so you know about that," Keanan said. "There's a spring here with water that has a soothing effect on a Pokémon's mind and body. Goodra and its friends lived there in peace, but conflict arose over the spring. One day, a swarm of Pokémon attacked those that lived at the spring so they could take it over. I wanted to help, but... when I arrived, the spring Pokémon had scattered and Goodra, which was a Goomy back then, had disappeared. The outside Pokémon have taken over the wetlands, and the Pokémon who live here were driven into a corner and forced to live there."

I rested a hand on Keanan's shoulder. "It's not your fault."

"I know that. I just wish I could do something about it... but it seems my poor body is too old for the strenuous task." Keanan sighed and put on a smile. "Sorry to depress you with that story. If you'll excuse me, Bellsprout and I need to tend to our duties."

Keanan and Bellsprout walked off the walkway and down the steps of the porch to a pulley nearby. Keanan cranked the lever on the side and lowered a bucket into the pond.

Ash reached out and placed a hand on Goodra's arm. Goodra snapped out of its revelry to flash a small smile at us before hopping off the walkway and taking a few steps into the wetlands. It gazed off into the distance.

"So, that's what happened," Serena said. "I never thought that fight would escalate into something this horrible."

"I can't even imagine how Goodra feels about all of this," Clemont said.

Goodra bowed, took a deep breath, and threw back its head. A loud cry escaped its mouth, and it echoed into the wetlands.

" _Poor thing,_ " Sylveon said, her eyes slanted with concern. " _Surely there must be something we can do..._ "

"Is _there something we can do?_ " Zoroark said.

The bushes next to Keanan's house rustled. We looked and saw a Wooper poking its head through the shrubbery. Slowly, it crept out of the bushes and towards Goodra. Goodra turned its head, and its eyes widened.

" _Wooper!_ " Goodra said. " _It's me, Goomy! Remember?_ "

Wooper cocked its head to the side and stared at Goodra. Slowly, its lips curved into a wide smile.

" _Goomy!_ " Wooper cried. Goodra wrapped one of its antennae around Wooper and lifted it into the air. " _Wow, it's really you! It's been so long, and... you look so different!_ "

More Pokémon- Gulpin, Lotads, and Quagsires- burst from the bushes and surrounded Goodra, each wearing friendly smiles.

"It looks like all of Goodra's friends are still around," Clemont said.

"What a relief!" Serena said. "I never knew Goodra was so popular."

"It's thanks to its future role," I said. "Maybe Goodra didn't know at the time, but everyone else saw its power and potential."

Overhead, a Swanna soared in our direction.

" _Help! Help!_ " it cried. It saw us and hovered in the air. Its chest heaved as it panted.

" _What's wrong?_ " Goodra said.

" _I-It's Florges and the others. They're attacking!_ " Swanna said.

Goodra's eyes widened. Goodra turned to its friends and nodded. The group hurried deeper into the wetlands.

"Goodra!" Ash called. Goodra paused and turned back to us. "You go get 'em!"

Goodra nodded and continued onward.

"Come on, we should help them-" I said.

A hand clamped my shoulder, and I glanced over my shoulder and at Keanan.

"Wait," he said. "we mustn't interfere."

"What? But they'll need our help!"

"This matter is between the wild Pokémon. It is not our place to get involved."

"As Guardians, the protection of Pokémon _is_ our matter! If they get hurt and we didn't do anything to prevent it, it'll be our responsibility!"

Keanan closed his eyes. "And as a Guardian, we are also needed to understand and determine whether a matter truly requires our assistance. Although it's a painful thing to do, sometimes our duty means to stay back and let others solve their own problems." Keanan opened his eyes. "I understand how you feel, Rylee. It's written in our hearts to help all we can. But it would be unfair if you were to get involved. This is something Goodra and its friends need to do alone."

I clenched my fists for a few moments before I relaxed my fingers and let my arms hang at my sides. I bowed my head. "Yes, sir."

"But..." Ash spoke up. "We still want to be there to cheer Goodra on. We can do that, right?"

Keanan exhaled out his nostrils. "Very well. I will allow that, but please stay out of harm's way."

"Yes, sir!" my friends cried. One by one, they hurried down the walkway.

"For now, your duty will be to protect your friends," Keanan said. He smiled warmly. "Goodra will be fine."

I finally looked at Keanan and nodded. I bowed and jogged to catch up to my friends. The walkway carried us into the far corner of the wetlands. Up ahead, a swarm of Pokémon consisting of Ariados, Yanmega, Seviper, and Pinsirs marched towards the wetland inhabitants. A Blue Flower Florges rode on the back of a Yanmega, her shoulders back and her posture tall. She shouted, thrusting an arm forward, and an Ariados launched Pin Missile at the inhabitants.

Goodra leaped in front of the inhabitants and took the attack. The smoke cleared, and Goodra's body glowed red. It opened its mouth and unleashed Bide on the opposing Pokémon. Florges' eyes widened before she scowled.

" _Attack!_ " Florges cried. I clenched my fists. Ash placed a hand on my shoulder. I looked at him in surprise. He shook his head.

"Just watch," he said.

I looked forward and folded my arms. The opposing Pokémon charged. Beedrill attacked with Pin Missile, and the Gulpin countered with Sludge. While the Beedrill were blinded with the smoky aftermath, the Lotads attacked with Scald. Goodra used Bide again, which scattered the Yanmega. The Yanmega that the Florges rode remained calm, carrying its ruler down to the ground. The land Pokémon bowed as she passed. Florges leaped off the Yanmega and landed in the middle of a pond. The impact created a big splash that tossed water into the air.

Goodra trembled in Florges' presence. It stepped back, as if prepping to run away.

"Goodra!" Ash called. Goodra looked over at us. "It's okay. You're much stronger than you were before. You've got this!"

Goodra straightened and nodded. It faced Florges, who cracked a smirk. Florges raised her arms and unleashed a Petal Blizzard Storm. Goodra countered with Dragon Pulse. The attacks cancelled each other out. Goodra burst through the smoke and swung its tail. Florges jumped back and glowed. A ripple of green power spread across the ground. Florges followed with Solar Beam. Goodra countered it once again with Dragon Pulse. The flowers around Florges bloomed and used Solar Beam. They flew past Goodra and hit the other inhabitants. They lay on the ground, injured. Florges attacked with Moonblast; Goodra leaped in front of its friends and took the attack. Florges repeatedly attacked, and Goodra took the damage.

I took a deep breath. _"Zoroark,"_ I said. My trembling shoulder disturbed Zoroark's position, and she adjusted her weight to keep from falling off.

 _"But Keanan said-"_ Zoroark said. I glared at Zoroark. Zoroark returned it, and we were locked in a glaring contest.

Sylveon wrapped her ribbons around my arm. _"Please, don't fight. We have more important things at hand."_

 _"I have... to do... something,"_ I said.

A hand gripped my clenched fist. I looked to Clemont in surprise, who gazed up at me.

 _Look._

I looked forward and to Ash, who stood in front of us all.

"Goodra!" Ash called. "Don't give up. You've survived worse than this. I know that you can hold on. You can do this!"

Goodra looked up and smiled. It turned to Florges and opened its mouth. A ball of light blue energy formed.

"Is that... Ice Beam?" Serena said. She grinned. "Wow, Goodra learned Ice Beam!"

"Let's go, Goodra! Hooray!" Bonnie said.

Florges used Moonblast, and Goodra used Ice Beam. The Ice Beam sliced through the Moonblast, destroyed it, and continued towards Florges. It made direct contact, and Florges flew back several feet. Florges' Pokémon minions surrounded her. Goodra's friends cheered.

A Shadow Ball and Psybeam flew down and slammed into Goodra. Goodra fell to the ground.

"Goodra!" Ash cried. He leaped off the walkway and sprinted towards Goodra, followed by Bonnie and Serena.

Clemont turned to me. "You saw that, right?"

I nodded. "Those moves were familiar."

Clemont adjusted his glasses. "This has now become a human matter. And since you are human..."

I looked to Clemont in surprise. He glanced at me with a smile.

"I'm going ahead," he said, and he jogged to join the others.

I smiled. "You heard him," I said to Sylveon and Zoroark. "I'll take care of this."

Zoroark sighed submissively. _"Very well. It's not my fault if Keanan chews you out."_

Sylveon and Zoroark hurried ahead. I glanced over my shoulder and at the enemy Pokémon, who were still gathered around Florges. I slowly backed up until the heels of my feet stepped past the edge of the walkway. I leaped into the air and transformed into a Yanmega. I flew over and joined the flock.

 _"Quick slacking and take Queen Florges to the spring!"_ a Yanmega hissed.

 _"Uh... Okay,"_ I said. A trio of Beedrill gently lifted Florges onto my back. I beat my wings and lifted into the air.

 _And... where, exactly, is the spring?_

 _"Move it!"_ the Yanmega cried.

 _"Y-Yes, sir!"_ The flocks of Beedrill and Yanmega flew north, and the land Pokémon followed them.

 _That way, I guess._


	44. To Whom It May Concern

~TPPOV~

Ash hovered over Goodra as it lay on a mattress Keanan pulled out. Serena peered over the side of her hammock bed and down at Bonnie, who slept in her own underneath her.

"Ash," Serena said softly, "you should try and get some sleep."

Ash nodded absentmindedly. He slowly rocked his hammock back and forth using his feet. He tore his gaze away from Goodra and looked at his friends.

Ash's eyes narrowed, and his eyebrows knit together. "Where's Rylee?" he said.

Serena and Bonnie glanced at each other and gave Ash blank stares. Ash stood and passed through the curtain hanging over the door frame. Ash stepped into Keanan's office, blazing with light. Keanan and Clemont stood over a couple of computers. Keanan turned upon Ash's entrance.

"Is something wrong?" Keanan said.

"I was wondering if you've seen Rylee," Ash said.

Keanan sat straight in his chair. "Now that you've mentioned it, no, I haven't," he said.

Keanan and Ash both looked to Clemont, who kept his back turned to them. His gaze remained fixed on the computer.

"Clemont," Keanan said sternly. Clemont flinched and faced Keanan, "where is Rylee?"

Clemont maintained a blank expression. He took a deep breath. "I told her to go after Florges."

Keanan sprung from his chair. "You _what_?! After I specifically told you all, repeatedly, to not get involved?!"

"If you're going to be angry, be angry with me. Rylee is doing nothing wrong. It's you who tries to stop her from doing what her heart tells her to do."

"Her heart?" Keanan scoffed. "It's her heart that will get her or someone else killed if she relies on it too much. A Pokémon Guardian must use his or her head to make fair and logical decisions while in the field."

"A Pokémon Guardian who doesn't rely on their heart is doing their job wrong. They can't protect someone if they don't care about them. They can't fight if they don't have something or someone to fight for. That's what Rylee does, and you're trying to change that- the one thing that makes her one of the most loyal and faithful people I've ever met. She's out there doing something that you refuse to do- act. If you had pushed past what your head told you and listened to what your heart said, then the wetland Pokémon wouldn't be in this situation and Goodra wouldn't have gotten hurt. Rylee is trying to fix what you let grow out of control."

Keanan's fingers tensed into fists. Ash stared at Clemont, his mouth hanging slightly.

* * *

~RYLEE~

The night breeze helped mask my heavy breathing. The longer we flew, the more Florges's weight and the forces of gravity worked against me. I beat my weary wings against the wind. Those ahead of me seemed clueless to my exhaustion and still brimmed with energy, all thanks to the fact that _they_ weren't burdened with carrying their queen.

The long journey back ended, and by that time, the sun had set and stars blanketed the sky. Florges spent the journey slipping in and out of consciousness.

We came to the opening of a cave. The other Yanmega stopped and faced me- or, more specifically, their queen.

 _"We will guard the entrance. Take Queen Florges into the spring,"_ a Yanmega said.

I flew past them and into the cave. At first, the cave was dark, but as I ventured deeper into it, a glowing blue light pierced through the darkness. I followed the light to a large, luscious spring. Moss and flowers sprung from the cracks in the stone. The water gave the room a warm, blue glow.

 _Just looking at this place is calming,_ I thought.

Florges stirred on my back. I hovered over to the spring, and Florges slowly climbed off my back and into the water. She leaned her head against the stone and sunk deeper into the spring. I planted my feet against the stone and watched.

Florges opened her eyes and looked at me. Her icy expression faltered due to exhaustion.

 _"Show yourself,"_ she said.

I flinched and stared at her. For a moment, I wondered if she was talking to someone else, but her eyes remained fixated on me. I bowed my head, and transformed into my human form. I pushed up from the crouch I was in and stood tall.

 _"I figured,"_ Florges said. _"You were a soldier I didn't recognize."_

"Why are you doing this?" I said. "My friend's Pokémon got hurt because of you. Is this spring so desirable that you would be willing to attack innocent Pokémon for it?"

 _"You don't understand, human,"_ Florges said. Her voice grew tired and weak. _"This was my last resort."_

"Last resort... for what?"

Slowly, Florges rose from the water. Droplets trickled from her arms and fingers and fell into the water, creating tiny ripples. She turned and reached for something tucked inside a small, concave rock with water inside. Florges turned to me.

My breath caught in my throat. In her arms, Florges held a small, blue-flowered Floette. Floette's eyes were closed, and I could see its weak, frail body from here. I took a step closer toward the spring. Florges growled, turned her body, and held Floette closer to her.

"She's sick," I whispered. I took another step. I stood on the edge of the spring, my toes hanging in the air. As I stepped again, a small platform of Protect appeared, and I used it as a stepping stone. I stood in front of Florges in the middle of the spring, my body hovering an inch above the water's surface.

Florges's eyes trembled. Her shoulders slumped, and she faced me again. Slowly, I reached out and cupped Floette's cheek in my hand. Tears spilled from my eyes and fell into the spring below. Florges gazed at me, thoughtful.

I stood up straight, suddenly aware of my surroundings, and dried my eyes.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me," I said. "Wouldn't this spring heal Floette?"

Florges bowed her head. _"It would usually, but look,"_ I followed her gaze to the edge of the spring. The water level wavered a few inches from the top. _"The water level has been decreasing, and with it the spring's healing effect."_

"There must be something that's causing this," I said. I gasped quietly as I recalled the Psybeam and Shadow Ball that knocked Goodra unconscious. I clenched my fist. "Or some _one_." I turned to Florges. "I know who's doing this. My friends are not the enemy; they're not the ones you should be fighting."

A cry echoed through the cave, and Florges and I looked to the opening. A Psybeam broke through the darkness. I shot my hand out, and a slab of Protect blocked the attack. I dropped my hand, and the Protect dispelled.

"Show yourselves, Team Rocket!" I hissed.

A group of chuckles echoed, followed by sets of footsteps. Team Rocket emerged from the darkness.

"How did you know it was us?" Jessie said.

"You don't need detective skills to know when you're up to something," I said. "You've been messing with the spring, haven't you?"

"When we heard about the magical healing abilities the water in these wetlands possessed, there was no way we would miss the opportunity," James said.

"Even as we speak, these waters are becoming property of Team Rocket!" Meowth said. "People will line up to buy this stuff!"

The cave rumbled. Florges gasped, and I followed her gaze. The water in the spring drained like a bathtub. In a matter of seconds, the spring completely emptied.

"The wetlands will die if you take its water! All the Pokémon here will suffer!"

"Oh, really?" James said. "Hm... We still don't care."

Florges trembled from anger. _"You... you wretched..."_

"We won't let you get away with this!" I said.

"Then try and catch us, if you can," Jessie said. She and James threw smoke bombs on the ground. They exploded, covering the air with a thick, black haze. I covered my mouth with my arm. The sour smoke made my eyes water. The smoke cleared, and Team Rocket was gone.

"We've got to hurry," I said. Florges looked to me and nodded. We hurried through the tunnel and reached the opening.

"Rylee!" I looked and saw my friends below, surrounded by Florges' Pokémon army. Florges and I climbed to the ground and met them. "What's going on? The water's all gone!"

"Team Rocket took it all," I said. "The outside Pokémon didn't come to cause trouble. They came here so Florges could take care of her child."

My friends looked to Florges, and they saw Floette lying limp in her arms.

"So, it was all for Floette's sake..." Ash said.

The air rumbled. We turned to the cave and watched a large, Mantine-shaped aircraft lift into the air.

"We've got to do something!" Serena said.

"I'll go after them," I said.

 _"Me, too,"_ Florges said. I looked to her. Florges nodded confidently.

A pair of footsteps stepped forward. "I will come, too." I looked and stared at Keanan in surprise. Bellsprout stood at his side. "It's my duty, after all."

I gave Keanan a small smile. I turned to my friends. "Stay here. We'll take care of this."

Florges turned and approached Clemont. She held Floette out to him.

" _Please watch over her,_ " she said.

Clemont's eyes widened. "W-What? Oh, no, I-I couldn't. Surely one of your friends could..."

Florges watched Clemont silently. She didn't budge. Slowly, Clemont reached out and took Floette from Florges. He cradled the tiny, frail Pokémon in his hands and stared at her. Serena and Ash looked over his shoulders, and Bonnie struggled on her tiptoes to get a look. Florges stepped back to my side. The three of us turned and looked up at the aircraft. The propellers blew gusts of wind to the ground, blowing my hair back.

"Aegislash!" Keanan and I called at the same time. Two streams of light ignited in front of us, and we reached out our hands and gripped the handles of our Pokémon. Light surrounded our bodies, and armor covered our skin. The light subsided, and Keanan and I stood in our Pokémon Guardian armor.

"It's been a while since I've worn this," Keanan said, staring at his gauntlet-covered hands. He looked to me and smiled. "I missed this."

I smiled and extended my arm. Two platforms of Protect appeared in front of us. Florges got on one, and Zoroark and I got on the other.

"Aegislash, use Protect." Aegislash obeyed, and Keanan and Bellsprout climbed on the third platform.

I turned back to my friends. "Be safe," I said. My friends nodded, and we lifted the Protect platforms into the air and after the aircraft.

The aircraft increased in speed. We flew faster and caught up with it.

"Aegislash, use Iron Head on the plane!" Keanan said.

"You, too, Aegislash!" I said.

Our Aegislash's blades shimmered as they hardened into iron. They sliced off a square chunk of metal, creating an entrance into the plane.

Water gushed from the hole in the plane. Keanan and I gasped.

"The spring water!" I cried. We watched the water fall to nourish the forest below. I clenched my fist.

We hopped off the Protect and into the plane. We jogged down the hallway.

"I don't suppose you have blueprints to this contraption?" Keanan said.

"No, sorry," I said, "but we can make our own path if needed."

A door opened at the end of the hallway, and Team Rocket entered.

"This is as far as you go," James said.

"Zoroark," I whispered. Zoroark nodded and turned invisible. She slowly slid off my shoulder and down my back.

"You will pay for what you have done!" Keanan said.

"And what are you going to do about it, old man?" Meowth said.

Keanan grit his teeth. Florges and I stepped forward.

"We'll show you exactly what we'll do," I said. I glanced over my shoulder and at Keanan. Bellsprout grabbed Keanan's hands with its leafy stocks and pulled him forward.

"Pumpkaboo, use Shadow Ball!"

"Inkay, use Psychic!"

"Bellsprout, use Razor Leaf!"

Florges brought her hands together and formed Moonblast. The four attacks combined and cancelled each other out. Florges used Moonblast again, and it hit Pumpkaboo. Pumpkaboo rocketed back and into the wall. It fell to the ground. I formed a ball of AncientPower in my hands and hurled it at Inkay. The AncientPower hit Inkay, and it fell beside Pumpkaboo.

"Bellsprout, use Sleep Powder."

Bellsprout thrust its leafy arms out to the side, and a thick cloud of Sleep Powder rushed towards Team Rocket. The three members and their Pokémon collapsed in one snoring pile.

"What about the plane?" Keanan said.

"No worries. I thought ahead," I said.

" _Ladies and gentlemen,_ " Zoroark's voice filled the intercoms. " _after finally figuring out the controls, I, Zoroark, have now been appointed your pilot. This flight has officially been cancelled. Please be patient as we turn the plane around. Thank you!_ "

* * *

We climbed out of the Mantine plane. Our friends rushed to greet us.

"You did it!" Ash said.

I looked to the plane. "But we lost the spring water..." I turned to Florges and bowed my head. "I'm sorry."

Florges gave me a small smile. " _It's all right..._ "

Clemont approached Florges, Floette in his hands. Florges smiled and took back her child, hugging her against her chest.

Keanan looked around at the wetlands. "Everything's already drying up," he said. "Soon, the wetlands will die..."

We looked between each other. Goodra stepped forward.

" _It's not over, Keanan,_ " Goodra said. Keanan looked at Goodra in surprise. Goodra turned away and tilted his head to the sky. He took a deep breath and let out a loud cry.

Clouds formed above us, and in a matter of seconds, the night sky was covered with a thick layer of gray clouds. Rainwater gushed from the clouds and soaked us and the wetlands. The spring and ponds quickly filled with water.

Florges stepped next to Goodra and closed her eyes. Green energy burst from her body and covered the ground in a ripple, stretching across the land and out of our sights. The plants and trees regained life.

The rain clouds dissipated, revealing a rising sun.

"You did it, Goodra," Keanan said. Goodra smiled and looked to Florges. "Thank you, Florges."

Florges looked up in surprise and nodded. I stepped next to Florges.

"Come on," I said, my eyes lowering to Floette.

We entered the springs. Florges lowered Floette into the small reservoir of water. It was silent for a few moments, until we heard soft groaning.

Floette opened her eyes and looked up at Florges. " _Mommy?_ " she said.

Florges's eyes widened. Florges hugged Floette tightly as tears fell down her cheeks. I placed a hand on Florges's shoulder. Florges turned to us and smiled brightly.

 _"Thank you,"_ she said. Floette floated out of Florges's arms and flew around us, singing happily. Goodra and the other wetland Pokémon cheered.

* * *

We looked below at the wetland Pokémon as they splashed and played in the spring.

"Everything's okay now," Serena said with a relieved smile.

"I'm glad that Florges and the others were able to become friends with the Pokémon here," Bonnie said.

Clemont nodded. "Now all Pokémon can enjoy the spring peacefully."

I looked to Ash, who remained silent as he gazed at the sunrise.

"Ash?" I said. The others turned to us.

Ash lowered his head. "Goodra," he said, "you should stay here."

Goodra turned to Ash. " _What?_ "

The rim of Ash's hat covered his eyes. "These wetlands are where you should live. All your friends are here, and you already have a future as a Pokémon Guardian partner. It would be wrong to take this away from you."

"But... then we'd have to say goodbye to Goodra," Bonnie said quietly.

"It's hard for me, too." Ash's shoulder trembled. "You're stronger now. You've changed so much since you were a Goomy. This is what's best for you. It's what you wanted the most."

Goodra's eyes trembled as tears pooled, and he threw his arms around Ash. We remained silent. Ash reached up and returned the hug.

"No matter how far apart we are, we'll always be friends. I promise." Ash's voice cracked. Tears fell from Goodra's cheeks and landed on Ash. Serena sniffled quietly as she frantically wiped tears away. Bonnie started to wail, and she clung to Clemont.

I reached up and touched the stream of tears falling from my face. My hand moved, and my fingers touched my lips. The flow of tears thickened. I bowed my head as my shoulder shook.

A warm hand wrapped around mine. I looked over my shoulder and at Clemont, who stepped to my side. His other arm was around Bonnie. He smiled gently. I heaved a sob, which I tried to hide with a smile. Clemont's smile saddened, and his fingers tightened around mine. He bowed his head.

 _I hope he gets it..._

My face fell as I stared at Clemont. His voice left my mind as quickly as it came.

"Rylee." I turned to Keanan as he approached me. Clemont released my hand, and I dried my eyes.

"Keanan, I'm sorry I went against your orders-" I said, holding my hands tightly in front of me.

Keanan held up a hand to silence me and shook his head. "No. I was in the wrong. I tried to keep you from using your heart, and in doing so, I tried to prevent you from being the Guardian that you are. Even with the experience I have, I have a lot to learn." Keanan bowed. "Please, forgive me."

I blushed and held up my hands. "I-It's okay. Really. We both have our own ways of performing our duties, but that doesn't mean one is better than the other." Keanan stood straight. I smiled. "Thank you for your help."

Keanan smiled. "It was my pleasure."

* * *

~TPPOV~

"Here you go," Cilan said as he set a platter of sandwiches in the center of a table.

"Thank you!" The table of girls gushed. Cilan smiled and stepped away.

"You seem to be doing better," Chili said. "I'm glad to see you smiling again."

"It helps to have all my family here," Cilan said.

"I'm sorry you had to hear from Cress, but when I heard about a new type of berry they discovered in the Kalos region, I had to go check it out right away." Chili rubbed his neck. "It's a shame they ran out by the time I got there. At least I was able to do some sightseeing before I came back."

"I'm glad you had fun."

"It was. Hey, maybe next time you should go to Kalos. You never know what you'll find."

Cilan chuckled. "I appreciate the offer, but I think I'll pass. We have work to do, remember?"

Chili's face fell into extreme annoyance, a reaction that confused Cilan.

"Cilan!" Cilan turned to face Cress, who quickly swerved through the tables and chairs to meet them.

"Is everything all right?" Cilan said.

Cress paused for a moment to catch his breath. He stood straight and held up an envelope. "This is for you."

Cilan raised an eyebrow and took the envelope. All that was written on it was his name. "It doesn't say who it's from."

"Read it," Chili coaxed.

"Okay, okay," Cilan opened the envelope and pulled the letter out. Something tumbled out of the envelope and landed face first on the ground. Cilan crouched down, picked it up, and turned it over.

His blood ran cold, and his face paled.

"...What's wrong?" Cress said.

Cilan opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He gulped.

"Excuse me." Cilan ran past his brothers and out of the restaurant. He hurried down the hallway and into his bedroom. He closed the door behind him, his chest heaving. He lifted the picture up and looked at it again.

Six people were grouped together in the picture, but Cilan only recognized two of them: Ash and Rylee. Rylee stood behind a boy wearing a light blue jumpsuit with blond hair and blue eyes, who looked at her with a smile.

Cilan lifted the letter in both hands and began to read.

 _To the Striaton Gym,_

 _Hello, Cilan. My name is Clemont, and I'm the Gym Leader of the Lumiose Gym in the Kalos region. If you look at the picture I put along with this letter, I'm the one with the glasses standing in front of Rylee._

 _Yes, I know Rylee. She's been traveling with me, Ash, my little sister, Bonnie, and another friend, Serena. Because of her, I've learned about Pokémon Guardians and her journey to becoming a Pokémon Knight. With that, I've also learned of the sacrifices she's had to make, and the regret that haunts her every day._

 _You, Cilan, are that regret._

 _Never would I normally do something like this. Maybe I'd ponder the idea for a bit, but I would never act on it. I was never the type to step out of my comfort zone._

 _But ever since I met Rylee, all I want is to make her happy. It pains me to see her cry about what could have been and not realize that she can change that. I know your brother, Chili, feels the same way. We're at a stalemate right now, and unless one of you steps forward, nothing will change and no one will be happy._

 _So, Cilan, what will you do?_

Upon finishing the letter, Cilan took a few steps into his room. His foot snagged on something, and he tripped and fell to the ground. He winced from landing on his elbows and the sharp pain that shot up his arms. He turned over, sat up, and rubbed his elbows. He scooped up the picture and letter that fell out of his hands. He looked to the source of his fall.

His backpack sat against his bed. He never bothered to move it after the end of his Unova journey. It had fallen over when he tripped on it. He crawled on his knees and lifted it up.

That's when he noticed something in the side pocket; part of a silver necklace chain had spilled out the top. Cilan pinched the chain and pulled it out of the pocket.

His eyes widened as a Poké Ball dangled at the end of the chain. He set the letter and the picture on his desk nearby, stood up, and gently held the Poké Ball in his hand. He pressed the button, and it enlarged to normal size. Cilan flinched slightly. He held the Poké Ball closer to his face.

"...Articuno?" he said.

The Poké Ball shook violently. He yelped and dropped the Poké Ball. It hit the ground and opened. A stream of light burst from the Poké Ball and formed into a large, blue silhouette.

Articuno lifted her head and stared at Cilan. Cilan stared dumbfoundedly. Articuno stepped closer and rubbed her cheek against his. Cilan chuckled and patted Articuno's head.

"What are you doing here?" Cilan said.

Articuno stepped over to the desk and lightly tapped her beak against Rylee's face in the picture. Cilan pinched the picture between his fingers and gazed at it. He looked past it and at the letter.

 _So, Cilan, what will you do?_

His free hand tensed into a fist. He stepped past Articuno and scooped up his backpack. He tucked the letter in his backpack, the picture in his back pocket, and he slung his backpack over his shoulders. Cilan turned to Articuno.

"I need your help," he said. "Can I count on you?"

Articuno smiled with her eyes, and she bowed. Cilan smiled.

"Thank you."


	45. Accuracy

I flinched from Serena's abrupt cry. I turned to see her nose buried deep in her Town Map.

"What's wrong?" I said.

Serena pouted and turned her Town Map around for me to see. "Look at what my fortune for today is!"

I bent over, placing my hands on my knees, and peered at the screen. Serena had turned the brightness up all the way so she could see the screen. My hair spilled over my shoulders, allowing the hot sun to bear down on my neck and scalp. A big frowny face floated in the middle of the screen. " _Trouble is waiting ahead_ ," hovered above it.

"Oooh," Bonnie said, peering over Serena's shoulder. "Can it tell me my fortune?"

Serena refreshed the page and typed in Bonnie's name. A new fortune appeared.

"' _Today you will have the worst luck you'll have all year. You will get knocked down farther than you ever have before. Beware the color gold_ '," Serena said. "Your fortune is a lot more specific than mine..."

"Aw, man!" Bonnie cried.

"You can't rely on fortunes," I said. "Who knows, maybe today will be a good day."

Serena refreshed the page once more, then scowled. "You're one to say! Look what _your_ fortune says."

Serena showed me the screen. A bright, happy face grinned at me from the screen. The fortune read, " _Pleasant surprises are rushing to greet you!_ "

I stood straight, rolled my arms, and folded my arms. "Yeah, okay. Like I said, you shouldn't rely so heavily on fortunes. They never come true."

"They do, too! You just have to keep your mind and your eyes open. Didn't anyone ever tell you to believe in the impossible?"

I stared at her through half-closed eyelids. I raised my palm up and summoned a ball of AncientPower.

"It wasn't necessary; I _am_ the impossible," I said. I closed my fingers and crushed the AncientPower. My arms fell back to my sides.

Ash stretched and slung his backpack over his shoulders. "Are we ready to go?"

Serena closed her Town Map and stood. "Almost. I think Chespin and Pancham are still playing." She looked past Ash, and sure enough, the two young Pokémon chased each other across the small plain of grass. "Chespin! Pancham! We're heading out. Come back so we don't leave you behind!"

The two Pokémon turned their heads in our direction and jogged back over to us. However, a Shadow Ball smashed into the ground in front of us, kicking up a thick haze of dirt. Pancham and Chespin tumbled out of the dirt cloud.

"What the-?!" Ash said. We lifted our eyes to a familiar hot air balloon hovering over us. "You!"

"Yes, us!" Jessie said. "You got a problem with that?"

"Well, yes, actually," I said. "It's _super_ annoying."

James tossed a gray and glowing blue box. A net exploded from the box and wrapped around Pancham and Chespin.

"Pancham!" Serena cried.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

Ash thrust his arm forward, and Pikachu ran down it and leaped into the air. Electricity consumed his body, and he unleashed a Thunderbolt. It hit the net, but it quickly dissipated.

"It's electric-proof, silly!" James said.

"Fine, then. Luxray, use Swift!"

Luxray swiped his tail and launched stars into the balloon. A large hole in the Meowth's mouth opened, and the air left the balloon in seconds. The hot air balloon crashed to the ground. The net holding Pancham and Chespin vanished, and they hurried back over to us. Apples followed close behind them and rolled to our feet.

"Hey," Clemont said, "you took these, too, didn't you?"

"Well, now you've taken them, so that makes _you_ the thief!" Meowth said.

"Don't try and twist this!"

A ground-rumbling roar pierced the air, and we all froze and whipped our heads in the direction it came from. A trio of Pangoro burst from the forest, their sharp teeth bared. The three prepared their attacks: one with Hidden Power, another with Dark Pulse, and the third with Hyper Beam. I leaped in front of the third Pangoro, who prepared to attack Luxray, Frogadier, and Hawlucha with Hyper Beam. I thrust my hand out and countered it with my own. Sylveon jumped in front of Bonnie and Zoroark jumped in front of Ash as a duo of Hidden Power orbs flew towards them. Zoroark transformed into her original form and raised a paw as a Shadow Claw consumed it. She swung the claw and sliced the orb into pieces, and those pieces exploded. Sylveon twirled her ribbons, creating Fairy Wind, and caught the other orb in a tornado. The tornado carried the orb higher into the air, and that, too, exploded.

"Run!" I cried as the Pangoros prepared to attack again.

We turned on our heels and sprinted off into the forest. The cries of the Pangoros faded as we ran further into the forest. Once I couldn't hear them anymore, I slowed to a stop and caught my breath.

"Well, I guess Team Rocket's right when they say to 'prepare for trouble'," I said. I turned and looked down the path. Behind me were Luxray, Hawlucha, and Fletchinder. "Looks like everyone took off may have gotten separated during the frenzy."

 _"I can go and look for them,"_ Fletchinder said, fluttering in front of me.

"Good idea. Let us know when you find someone, and we can regroup with them." Fletchinder nodded and quickly flew out of our sight. I placed my hands on my hips and turned to Hawlucha and Luxray. "Let's keep walking. This path may cross with another."

Hawlucha and Luxray nodded. The three of us walked side-by-side down the path.

* * *

~SYLVEON~

 _"Rylee? Ryleeee!"_ I called. I sighed, knowing my voice would carry into any other person's ears as a simple cry. I looked around at the tangle of trees, shrubbery, and vines surrounding me. _"There's no point in me sitting here making a ruckus, unless I want one of those Pangoro to find me."_

A duet of screams filled the air. My ears perked up, and I turned my head in the direction they came from. I pushed off my feet, leaped over a barrier of bushes, and ran into an alcove of trees. I broke through that and looked up at the tall cliffside. The screams sounded once more, this time coming from above me. I looked up and saw Bonnie and Meowth plummeting straight for me. I yelped and shot out my ribbons. They wrapped around Bonnie, and I carried her to the ground. Meowth, on the other hand, kept falling and landed on top of me.

 _"Ow..."_ I winced.

"Are you all right?" Bonnie said.

"Yeah, I'm fine..." Meowth said.

"I'm not talking to you!" Bonnie pushed Meowth off me. She held out a hand, and I wrapped a ribbon around it and stood. "You okay?"

 _"Y-Yeah, I'm fine-"_ I started to say, only to notice Bonnie's blank stare. I nodded. I turned to Meowth. _"Why were you screaming?"_

On cue, a low growl rumbled the earth, followed by hefty footsteps. We turned and saw one of the Pangoro standing there, its fists raised as it roared.

" _That's_ why!" Meowth said. "Let's scram!"

Meowth and Bonnie tried to run away, but a vine wrapped around their torsos yanked them back, and they fell on their butts. The Pangoro stepped closer.

I jumped in front of them and used Dazzling Gleam. The Pangoro hissed and covered its eyes.

 _"Come on!"_ Wrapping a ribbon around the vine, I pulled Bonnie and Meowth through the trees and back into the alcove of trees I passed by earlier. The two collapsed onto the ground in exhaustion.

"This... is all... your fault!" Bonnie cried.

"My fault?!" Meowth said.

"Yeah! If you Team Rocket thugs stopped obsessing over us and our Pokémon, we wouldn't be in this mess!"

"Well, if you would just hand over your Pokémon, then we wouldn't have need to follow you guys around."

" _Aha_! You just admitted that you _do_ follow us! You freak!"

 _"Stop it!"_ I jumped in front of the two, who had climbed to their feet and started stomping towards each other, and blocked them with my ribbons. _"We shouldn't be fighting. Yes, we're in this predicament, but we need to put our bitter feelings aside and figure out how to find the others."_

Bonnie pouted sadly. "Sorry, Sylveon, but I don't know what you're saying."

I sweatdropped. _I'm so used to Rylee being around and broadcasting my voice, I keep forgetting that, without her around, no one can understand me._

"She said we need to get over ourselves if we want to find the others," Meowth grumbled.

I sweatdropped again. _That's not exactly what I said..._

Bonnie sighed. "Fine, okay..."

Meowth cleared his throat. "All right, let's move out. I'll lead the way."

Meowth started to walk, but Bonnie grabbed the vine and tugged. Meowth stumbled back.

"Not so fast. If anyone's going to lead, it'll be Sylveon. I don't trust you one bit," Bonnie said. She eyed Meowth, leaned closer, and flicked the coin on his head. "That's a strange coin you got there. Why do you have it?"

"Hey, watch it!" Meowth hissed and rubbed the coin. "And heck if I know. I was born with it. All Meowth have this gold coin."

"Gold coin...?" Bonnie's eyes widened, and she screamed. I winced and folded my ears.

"What was that for?!"

"My fortune was right! It said today would be my unluckiest day of the year!"

I shook my head. _You're still thinking about that?_ I looked down the path. _Rylee, I hope you're handling yourself better where you are..._

* * *

~ZOROARK~

My shoulders heaved as I looked back down the path.

" _Are you guys okay?_ " I said, turning to Ash and Pancham as they were doubled over and panting.

"Yeah," Ash said. He stood and looked around. "Looks like we got separated from the others."

" _I'm not surprised. Whenever Team Rocket's around, there's always trouble waiting._ "

 _"You got that right..."_ Pancham mumbled.

"I guess we should start looking for the others," Ash said. "Fletchinder's probably looking for us right now, so if we move to higher grounds, it'll be easier for it to find us."

I nodded. " _Good idea. Let's get moving._ " I glowed magenta, transforming into my Zorua form, and landed on Ash's shoulder. " _Lead the way._ "

Ash glared at me.

" _What? Since Rylee's not around to carry me, you get to do the honors._ "

Ash rolled his eyes, and we started down the path.

* * *

~SYLVEON~

A low grumble filled the air, and Bonnie rested her hand against her stomach. "I'm hungry," she whimpered.

Meowth's stomach growled, followed immediately by Dedenne's. "Me, too," Meowth said.

On cue, my stomach growled. I scanned the area until I spotted a Nanab Berry tree nearby.

 _"Up there,"_ I said, pointing a ribbon at the tree. The two followed my line of sight to the tree.

"Nice eye, Sylveon!" Bonnie said.

Meowth rubbed his hands together. "Leave this to me."

He started to climb up the tree, but halfway up the trunk, he slid back down to the roots. He tried twice, three times, but ended with the same results.

Dedenne crawled out of his bag and rolled his eyes. _"I'll go get some berries."_

Dedenne scurried up the tree with ease and perched on one of the branches. He nibbled on the stems to break the berries off the branches and used his tail to toss down two Nanab berries, one to Bonnie and one to me. Grabbing his own Berry, he made his way back down the tree and perched on the top of Bonnie's head.

"H-Hey! Why don't I get one?!" Meowth said.

 _"Because you're a bad guy."_ Dedenne stuck his tongue out at Meowth, faced his back to him, and ate his Berry.

I looked at Meowth and his pout. I sighed and turned to him. _"Here, Meowth, you can have mine,"_ I said.

Meowth perked up in surprise. "R-Really? You don't mind?"

 _"It's fine. I'm not that hungry right now."_ My stomach growled again, and I pressed a ribbon against it to hush it. I held out the Nanab Berry. _"It's yours."_

Meowth took the Berry as his eyes watered and animated waterfalls streamed down his cheeks. His cheeks were bright red. He rubbed the Berry against his furry cheek. "You're so nice! Too nice! What did I do deserve an angel like you?!"

"Unleashing a pack of angry Pangoros..." Bonnie mumbled through a mouthful of Nanab Berry.

 _"Now that we've got food in our bellies, we need to try and work together,"_ I said. _"The sooner we do that, the sooner we'll find the others, okay?"_

Meowth gobbled the rest of his Berry, stood, and threw his arm around my shoulders. "No problemo! Anything for you!"

I chuckled nervously and gently unwrapped his arm from my shoulders. _"Good..."_

* * *

~ZOROARK~

Ash climbed the last bit of the incline leading to a narrow cliffside, one that sat above the trees.

"This is a good spot," Ash said. "Fletchinder will find us in no time."

Pancham lifted his eyes and pointed to the sky. _"Look! There it is!"_

Fletchinder circled in the air, most likely looking for someone.

Ash cupped his hands over his mouth. "Fletchinder!"

His voice carried through the air, and Fletchinder stopped and looked over at us. With a cry, he flew over to us.

"You found us!" Ash said.

 _"Thank goodness you're okay. I was with Rylee, Hawlucha, and Luxray before I came to find you. I'll go and bring them to you,"_ Fletchinder said.

" _Thanks!_ " I said, and Fletchinder hurried back into the forest. " _Fletchinder's going to get Rylee._ "

"That's great! With you two and Fletchinder, it'll be a lot easier to find the others."

" _That, and we can protect you in case we run into one of the Pangoros?_ "

Ash blushed and chuckled. "That, too..."

* * *

~RYLEE~

"You know," I said to Luxray, who walked next to me on my right side, "I never got to say this, but you did really well during Clemont's Gym battle against Ash."

 _"Thank you,"_ Luxray said. _"It was fun."_

"I'm sure those few days in between really helped you to prepare," I said. "First Korrina, then Clemont. It makes the battle more interesting when you prepare according to who you're about to battle."

Luxray nodded. _"Uh-huh. Of course, Clemont was the one under the most pressure. As a Gym leader, he had to juggle a lot of things. He trained us, of course, but he was also busy with a few inventions."_

I chuckled. "Yeah, like that maid robot."

Luxray laughed. _"And then there was the letter..."_

I raised an eyebrow. "Letter? What letter?"

Luxray stopped in his stride. Hawlucha and I turned to face him. Luxray's light blue skin paled, almost turning white. He avoided my eyes.

 _"W-What? I didn't say anything..."_ Luxray said.

"You _just_ said Clemont wrote a letter while he was away," I said.

 _"Yeah, you did,"_ Hawlucha said. Luxray shot him a dirty glare, and Hawlucha raised an eyebrow.

"Who was the letter for?"

 _"No one!"_ Luxray said. He started to sweat.

I folded my arms and narrowed my eyes. "Luxray..."

Luxray searched the area, most likely looking for an escape. He lifted his eyes to the sky, and they widened. _"L-Look! It's Fletchinder!"_

A sharp trill sounded, and we looked and saw Fletchinder circling the sky above us.

" _Looks like he found someone. Come on!"_ Luxray cried, and he took off ahead of us.

Hawlucha and I glanced at each other.

 _"He's totally hiding something,"_ Hawlucha said.

I chuckled. "What gave it away?"

We followed Fletchinder to a narrow cliffside. Ash, Zoroark, and Pancham were there.

"Rylee!" Ash cried. Zoroark leaped off Ash's shoulder and into my arms. I hugged her tightly.

"I'm glad you're safe," I said. "Have you seen any of the others?"

"Not yet." Ash turned to Fletchinder, who hovered behind him. "Please, go and search for the others."

Fletchinder nodded and took off. Ash turned back to me. "I hope you didn't run into trouble while we were separated."

I shook my head. "You?"

"No. Now that you're here, we'll be able to find the others sooner."

I raised an eyebrow and smirked. "That, and we can protect you in case we run into one of the Pangoros?"

" _That's what I said!_ " Zoroark said. We both laughed while Ash blushed furiously.

"W-Well, let's get moving, already!" Ash stammered.

Zoroark and I continued to laugh as we climbed down the small hill and back to the ground. Soon, Fletchinder found us again, and he led us to Serena, Frogadier, and Chespin.

"Ash! Rylee!" Serena said. Pancham jumped into her arms. "Thank goodness you're okay!" Serena looked around, and her frown slowly faded. "...But where's Braixen?"

Ash shrugged. "We don't know. Clemont, Bonnie, and Pikachu are still missing, too."

"Wherever they are, I'm sure they're fine. Sylveon is gone, too, which means she's with one of them; she can protect them if needed," I said.

"Yeah... Clemont can also take care of himself, too."

I looked at Ash in surprise. "Really? You think so?"

Ash glanced at me and smiled. "I do. I don't know what's happened, but... Clemont's changed."

* * *

~SYLVEON~

Bonnie and Meowth trailed extremely close behind me as we walked. The vine connecting them occasionally bumped against my tail as it swung back and forth.

"We've been walking for _ever_..." Bonnie whimpered.

I wrapped a ribbon around her hand. _"It's okay. Just a little longer."_

Meowth stretched an arm in front of us, forcing us to stop. We followed his terrified gaze to a snoozing Pangoro sleeping on the hill's slope, a rock under its head for a pillow.

We looked between each other and urgently shushed one another. We quietly crept past the Pangoro. Once we were at a safe distance, we took off in a run.

Meowth's foot snagged on a rock. I gasped quietly, stretched out my ribbons, and caught Meowth before he fell.

 _"Are you all right?"_ I said, helping Meowth stand straight.

Meowth blushed and stood triumphantly, his hand on his hips. "Of course I am. Come on, let's keep moving before the big guy wakes."

We jogged further from the Pangoro. Bonnie glanced behind.

"Is it safe?" she said.

I looked ahead and gasped. _"Bonnie, stop!"_

Unable to understand me, Bonnie ran right off the edge of a drop where part of the path used to be. The vine tugged against Meowth's torso, and Bonnie took him with her. I gasped and peered over the edge. A cloud of green gas with magenta sparkles exploded below. My eyes widened. I ran down the slope of the hill and hurried to Meowth and Bonnie's side. The gas dissipated, and Bonnie lay on the ground.

 _"Bonnie!"_ I cried. She remained still, her eyes closed.

"We landed in a group of Foongus," Meowth said. "Looks like she breathed in some of that Spore."

 _"What are we going to do?"_ Dedenne said. I patted the top of his head.

 _"Bonnie will be fine,"_ I said. I turned to Meowth. _"We need to find a Chesto Berry. I don't suppose you spotted some during our trek?"_

"No... But there's got to be a Berry tree somewhere," Meowth said.

 _"I'll go and find one-"_

"W-Wait! Let's send Dedenne to find one. He probably knows all about Berries."

 _"Actually,"_ Dedenne chimed quietly, _"I don't know what a Chesto Berry looks like..."_

 _"No worries, I'll find one. I'll be right back-"_

"Let us come with you!" Meowth cried. I glanced at him, and he stood straight and cleared his throat. "What if you run into a wild Pokémon or one of the Pangoros? You'll need protection!"

 _"Um... Thank you, really, but I can handle myself..."_

"Please, it's the least I can do! If I let you go off alone and you got hurt, I'd never forgive myself!"

I glanced at Dedenne, who rolled his eyes. I looked back at Meowth and smiled.

 _"Okay... Thank you, Meowth..."_ I said. _"We'd better start looking, then."_

 _"What about Bonnie?"_ Dedenne said.

"No worries!" Meowth pretended he wore a shirt and pushed up his sleeves. He hoisted Bonnie onto his back and started to walk. A few steps in, his knees failed him and he collapsed from the weight.

 _"Here..."_ I summoned a platform of Protect. I wrapped my ribbons around Bonnie and lifted her onto the platform. _"Let's go."_

Meowth climbed to his feet and dusted off his fur. Dedenne hopped onto the platform and curled next to Bonnie. We headed down the path. I looked around the area, closely observing the trees as we passed by them. Meowth traveled a step behind me.

 _"There!"_ I said, pointing at a cluster of Chesto Berries hanging over us. _"Dedenne, could you get one?"_

Dedenne straightened, saluted, and scurried up the tree. He plucked it with his tail, crawled back down, and handed it to me.

 _"Thank you, Dedenne,"_ I said. I turned to Meowth and held out the Berry. _"Will you squeeze the juice into Bonnie's mouth?"_

"Of course! I'm the perfect Pokémon for the job!" Meowth took the Berry, hopped onto the Protect Platform, and squeezed the berry over Bonnie's slightly open mouth. A drop of juice trickled into her mouth. We hovered around her.

 _"...Did it work?"_ Dedenne said.

Bonnie's eyes popped open, and she shot up straight. "Yuuuuuck!" Bonnie screamed. Meowth jumped back, lost his balance, and fell off the platform. Bonnie coughed. "That was bitter!" She opened her eyes and looked around. "Huh? Where am I? What happened?"

"You breathed some Spore from a Foongus and wouldn't wake up," Meowth said. "We found a Chesto Berry to wake you up!"

"Really? All of you?" Bonnie narrowed her eyes on Meowth and tilted her head slightly.

Meowth flinched and scowled. "Y-Yes, _all_ of us!" Meowth folded his arms and turned away. "I'm not gonna sit by and let a little girl suffer when I can do something about it!"

Bonnie's lips trembled into a smile, and she laughed. "Wow, thanks, Meowth. That's really nice of you to do." She stood and hopped off the Protect platform. "Sorry to give you guys trouble. Let's hurry and find the others!"

The path led to a river, and the dirt road changed into giant rocks. We balanced carefully on the rocks, however, Meowth lost his footing and tumbled towards the water. Bonnie grabbed the vine and tried to keep Meowth on the rock, but her strength failed her, and they fell into the water.

 _"Bonnie! Meowth!"_ I cried. I leaped off the rocks and summoned a platform of Protect. I zoomed across the surface of the water towards my flailing friends. A large rock sat in the center of the river. The stream carried Bonnie and Meowth to both sides of the rock. The vine caught on the rock, and it snapped. I hurried over to them and reached out my ribbons. _"Grab my ribbons!"_

Bonnie and Meowth grabbed a ribbon, and with a grunt, I pulled them out of the water and onto the Protect. They collapsed on the Protect, soaked and panting. I brought us back onto the dirt path and shook out my ribbons.

 _I'm going to be sore tomorrow..._

"Can we not get into trouble for at least five minutes?!" Bonnie said. She sighed. "Looks like my fortune is truer than ever before..."

 _"Bonnie..."_ I mumbled. I noticed the broken, wet vines wrapped around her and Meowth. I pointed at the vine.

"Hey! The vine snapped!" Bonnie and Meowth pulled off the vines and tossed them aside. "I'm finally free! Now we can go find the others more... efficiently..."

"I heard that!" Meowth snapped. "I wouldn't want to travel another second longer with you twerps anyways!"

A roar traveled through the trees, and we froze. Bonnie and I looked at each other.

"L-Let's get going," she said. I nodded, and we headed down the path.

"H-Hey! Wait for me!" Meowth said.

Bonnie folded her arms. "I thought you said you couldn't stand traveling with us."

"I... I was just joking! I said I would take you back to your friends, and I'm a Meowth of my word!"

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Fine."

* * *

~RYLEE~

We hurried down the path and after Fletchinder, who had located Clemont, Braixen, Bunnelby, and Pikachu. They appeared in our line of sight, and we picked up our pace.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried. Pikachu leaped into Ash's open arms. Serena reached out and grasped Braixen's paws.

Luxray stood on his hind legs and planted his front paws on Clemont's shoulders.

"I'm glad you're okay," Clemont said. Clemont looked around. "Where's Bonnie?"

We looked around. "Looks like she's still gone," Ash said.

"Sylveon's gone, too. She must be with Bonnie," I said.

Clemont smiled. "That's reassuring."

Ash turned to Fletchinder. "Go and find Bonnie and Sylveon, please."

Fletchinder nodded and disappeared into the sky once more.

"I hope you didn't get attacked by any Pangoro while we were separated," I said to Clemont.

Clemont shook his head. "No, we were perfectly void of danger... and thank goodness, too."

I smiled. Luxray eyed me nervously. He dropped his paws back to the ground and stepped behind Clemont. He refused to meet my eyes.

"What's wrong, Luxray?" Clemont said. He looked to me and raised an eyebrow. "Did something happen?"

"Yeah, actually. I have a question..."

"Look! There they are!" Serena cried.

We turned towards the path and saw Fletchinder flying above Bonnie, Sylveon, and...

My eyes widened. _Meowth?!_

"Clemont!" Bonnie tackled Clemont with a hug. "We finally found you!"

I knelt to greet Sylveon. Sylveon wrapped her ribbons around my biceps and nuzzled her cheek into my neck. Zoroark hopped off my shoulder and greeted Sylveon with a grin.

" _It's so nice to see you again,_ " Sylveon said. " _And it's so nice for everyone to understand me!_ "

I laughed aloud. "You're not hurt, are you?"

" _I'm fine, but... I'm_ really _hungry..._ "

A throat cleared behind Sylveon. I lifted my eyes and glared at Meowth, who stood directly behind Sylveon. His hands were behind his back. I stood straight.

"What are _you_ doing here?" I hissed.

Sylveon's ribbon tightened around my right bicep. " _It's okay. He helped us while we were separated._ "

"He _did_?" Ash said skeptically.

"Yes, _he_ did!" Meowth said. "Of course, I never would have survived without Sylveon. I would be hopeless without her!"

Sylveon flinched and chuckled nervously, a sweatdrop forming on her forehead. Zoroark side-glanced at her. Meowth pulled his hands from behind his back and held out a large apple.

"Here," Meowth said. "I found this while we were following Fletchinder. I want to say thank you for all you've done."

" _Um..._ " Sylveon took the apple and smiled. " _Thank you, Meowth. I really appreciate it._ "

Meowth giggled and scratched the back of his head. "Aw, shucks, it was nothing, really!"

" _What happened between you two?_ " Zoroark grinned and wiggled her eyebrows. Sylveon stared at Zoroark with wide eyes and red cheeks.

" _What?!_ " she cried. She quickly lowered her voice. " _N-Nothing, I swear..._ "

The bushes nearby burst as the trio of Pangoro crushed it under their feet. They glared at us and summoned Hidden Power orbs. I scowled, and me and my Pokémon stepped forward.

Pancham hurried in front of us all and stood in front of the Pangoro. " _Stop it! We didn't do anything wrong!_ "

" _Nothing wrong?_ " the middle Pangoro scoffed. " _You stole the food from our tree!_ "

" _That wasn't us!_ " Pancham said. " _We got caught in this mess because of the people who really did this._ "

" _If you didn't do it, then who did?_ "

" _A group of bad people called Team Rocket!_ "

Meowth tensed. The Pangoro lifted their eyes and stared at him.

"I... I may know who you're talking about..." Meowth said. The Pangoro growled, and Meowth yelped.

"Meowth!" We looked past the Pangoro and at Jessie and James, who headed our way. James carried the sack of apples over his shoulders.

"That's them! They're the ones who stole your food!" Ash said.

The Pangoro turned towards Team Rocket and growled. One Pangoro lifted his paws, and its nails extended several inches into Slash. It lunged and swiped its claws. James and Jessie stumbled back. Pangoro's claws snagged on the net, and the apples in James's sack tumbled onto the ground. The three Pangoro attacked with Hidden Power, Dark Pulse, and Hyper Beam. The combined attack hit Jessie and James, and they blasted into the sky.

"H-Hey! Wait for me!" Meowth cried as he scurried down the path. He skidded to a stop and glanced behind us. "M-M-Maybe we can grab a bite next time, Sylveon?!"

Sylveon winced. Meowth's sprint kicked up a dust cloud behind him, and he disappeared into the forest.

" _Sylveon's got a boyfriend,_ " Zoroark sang.

" _Z-Zoroark!_ " Sylveon yelped. Zoroark snickered into her paw. Sylveon sweatdropped and buried her face in the apple she received from Meowth.

We gathered the apples that lay scattered on the ground and returned them to the Pangoros.

" _We're sorry we dragged you into this,_ " one of the Pangoros said.

"It's fine, really," Serena said. "We're glad you got your fruit back."

" _Here,_ " Sylveon said, offering her apple to the Pangoros. " _This probably belongs to you, too._ "

A Pangoro lifted its paw. " _You can keep it._ "

" _R-Really?_ " On cue, Sylveon's stomach growled.

The Pangoros chuckled. " _We insist._ "

" _Thank you!_ " Sylveon sunk her teeth into the apple and tore off a big chunk. Her ribbons wiggled in the air. " _Yummy!_ "

The Pangoros handed all of us an apple. " _Thank you all for helping us._ "

"We're glad we could help," I said. "You wouldn't by chance know how to get out of here?"

The Pangoros lifted their paws and pointed down the path. " _Just follow this path, and it will lead you out._ "

"Thank you."

We waved goodbye to the Pangoros and headed down the path. We paused to return our Pokémon back to their Poké Balls.

"Hey, Rylee," Clemont said, "you said you had a question for me?"

"Oh, right," I said. "Luxray told me you wrote a letter to someone while you were preparing for your Gym battle against Ash. I'm curious as to who the letter was for."

Clemont stared at me, surprised at first. He glanced at Luxray's Poké Ball. His surprise melted into a smile, and he tucked the Poké Ball away.

"An acquaintance. His name isn't important," Clemont said.

"Oh, so it's a he? Now I'm even more curious," I said. "Come on, Clemont, tell me!"

Clemont side-glanced at me. "It's a secret."

"I can keep secrets."

"Rylee." Clemont faced me fully, a gentle smile on his lips. "I'm sorry, but I said no."

I gaped at him. Bonnie called for him, and he stepped away to greet her. I stared at the back of his head as he crouched to her level and spoke with her.

 _"...Clemont can also take care of himself, too..."_

 _Now that I think about it... Clemont has been acting differently since we reunited in Lumiose City._ I blinked and folded my arms. _I wonder if that letter had something to do with it... and if it did, was it_ that _important?_

"I told you so!" Serena's abrupt cry snapped me out of my thoughts, and I turned to face her. "Mine and Bonnie's fortunes came true!"

I rolled my eyes. "You're still on that?"

"Since ours have come true, then that means yours will, too!" Serena's eyes sparkled. "I wonder what these 'pleasant surprises' are that you'll get... Now I'm getting excited!"

I sighed, but I also couldn't help but smile at Serena's bubbly energy. I glanced back at Clemont, who still spoke with Bonnie. My shoulders slumped, and my smile softened.

 _I guess Ash is right. Clemont_ is _changing..._

A strange sadness weighed down on my heart, and I pressed my hand against my chest.


	46. The Scary House

Ash stopped and placed his hands on his hips. "Okay... Something's up."

"Yeah..." Serena turned and faced the swing set. "This is the fifth time we've passed by this playground.

Zoroark and Sylveon hopped onto one of the swings. Their weight caused their swing to begin to move. Sylveon used a small Fairy Wind to propel them forward, and the two began to swing.

"Guys, this is no time to play," Bonnie said. "I think there's a storm coming."

"That's not something I expected _you_ to say, Bonnie," Clemont chuckled.

Bonnie pouted and folded her arms. "Believe me, I want to play, too."

"Bonnie is right. We need to get going... If only we could progress further than this strange loop," Ash said. He looked to Serena. "Are you sure we're not going in a circle?"

Serena scratched her head and stared at her Town Map. "I mean, we've gone down all three paths, but they all brought us here. I don't know what's going on..." Serena's face paled. "Maybe this has something to do with those rumors we heard in town."

"I didn't hear any rumors," Bonnie said.

Serena gulped. "Someone told me that those who roam this forest at nighttime will find an old house, and bad things will happen to you."

Bonnie's eyes twinkled. "I want to go there!"

"What?!" Clemont cried, who quaked in his shoes.

"They say the house is haunted," Serena whispered.

I scoffed. "Haunted, right." I sat on the other swing and rocked it back and forth with my feet. "Remember the last time we went to a supposedly 'haunted' house? That was because of an Espurr. We went to the Nacrene City's Gym in Unova, and weird things were going on there, too, but it was because of a Yamask who lost his mask. There's no such thing as 'haunted' places; it's _always_ because of a Pokémon."

"So, the house _isn't_ haunted?" Bonnie folded her arms and pouted. "That's no fun..."

"You've never seen a ghost before, so how can you be sure?" Serena said. I sighed.

"We should keep going. Let's try the middle path again. The Pokémon Center is just outside this forest," Ash said.

I pushed off the swing and dusted the back of my shorts. Zoroark hopped onto my shoulder, and Sylveon stepped to my side and wrapped her ribbons around my wrist. We headed down the middle path once more, our fingers crossed.

This time, our surroundings looked different. Well, as different as a forest late at night can be. We didn't come across the playground, so it was a good sign.

The trees parted, and our hearts lifted. We lifted our eyes to the large mansion standing in front of us.

"Hey, Serena," Ash said, "is that...?"

Serena nodded. "That's the haunted house." Behind me, Clemont whimpered. "And the lights are on..."

A water droplet fell on my nose, and I flinched. I looked up and held a hand out. A few droplets fell on my palm and my face. Rain began to fall from the dark blanket of clouds in the sky.

"Well, we can't stay out in the rain," I said. "Let's go ask whoever lives here if we can stay here."

"Are you crazy?!" Clemont said.

I rolled my eyes. "It's just a house, guys. There's nothing to be afraid of." Sylveon's ribbons tightened around my wrist. I looked into her wide eyes and sighed. I crouched down and patted the top of her head. "If anything does happen, I'll protect you guys."

We headed up the wooden stairs to the door, my friends closely behind. I knocked on the door loudly so whoever was inside wouldn't mistake it for rain. We waited a few moments in anticipating silence.

The door opened, and an old, balding man stood in front of us. "Oh," he said, "what are you kids doing out here in the rain?"

"Sorry to intrude, but we were wondering if we could take shelter in here until the rain passes," I said.

The man smiled. "Of course. Come in." He opened the door wider and stepped aside so we could enter. "I wouldn't want you all getting a cold, especially if I could do something to help."

"Thank you."

We entered the house and looked around at the spacious entrance.

"There are some towels over there. Please, use them to dry yourselves." The man pointed to a pile of towels sitting on a small table.

Bonnie and Serena hurried over to the towels and grabbed one.

"Wow!" Bonnie buried her face in the towel. "They're so fluffy! Guys, you've got to feel these!"

Ash joined them and grabbed a towel. I chuckled quietly.

 _"It doesn't take much for them to bounce back,"_ I said.

 _"What do you expect? They're kids,"_ Zoroark said.

"It's that innocent, child-like wonder that I miss from my youth," the old man said. He handed me a towel. "Here you go."

I accepted the towel. "Wow, that _is_ soft," I said. "Thank you for letting us stay here. My name's Rylee. My friends are Ash, Serena, Bonnie, and Clemont."

The old man smiled. "It's nice to meet you all. My name is Lon," he said. He looked out the window. The rain had thickened outside. "It's a good thing you found this place before the weather turned bad. How would you guys like a warm meal? I've just finished preparing dinner."

"Really?" Ash cried abruptly. Any mention of food captured the fourteen-year-old's attention. "Would that be okay?"

Lon chuckled. "Of course. Come with me."

Lon headed for the doors leading deeper into the mansion. I took a step, but something tugged at my arm. I turned and looked to Sylveon, her eyes wider than before.

"What's wrong?" I said, crouching to her level once more.

" _Lon, he..._ " Sylveon said.

"What? What about Lon?"

" _Lon heard our conversation... even though it was telepathic._ "

I raised my eyebrows. Now that I thought about it, it seems like he did. I looked to Sylveon, who stared to shake. I smiled and gently petted her ribbons.

"I'm sure there's a reason for it. Maybe he's can read minds," I said.

" _So, ghosts are completely illogical, but someone being psychic is totally plausible?_ " Zoroark said.

"Geez, you better be careful. You're starting to sound like Clemont." I looked up and noticed Clemont was still in the room. He stared intently at the towels in his hands. I stepped over to him and peered over his shoulder. "Is there really something fascinating about that towel?"

Clemont physically jumped a few inches in the air. The towel in his hands flew into the air and landed on Sylveon's head. She yelped and frantically shook it off.

"Don't... Don't scare me like that," Clemont wheezed while he clutched his chest. "S-Sorry, Sylveon."

"Sorry about that," I said, a laugh bubbling in my throat. "What were you so deep in thought about?"

"Oh, um..." Clemont picked up his towel. "I was thinking how weird it was that there were a perfect number of towels for each of us as soon as we entered the house."

"Okay... Don't tell me you're starting to believe all this ghost stuff. It's much more reasonable to conclude that Lon saw us through the window while we were outside and brought out some towels before inviting us inside."

"Y-Yeah..."

" _Explain to me how Lon being_ psychic _is also reasonable conclusion!_ " Zoroark cried.

I exhaled sharply. "We've already been through situations like this. Have you forgotten that we both are capable of seeing the future?" I said. "Just recently, we met Keanan. Who knows? Maybe Lon is also a Pokémon Guardian."

Clemont cupped his chin in his hand. "Maybe..."

"Clemont!" Bonnie called from the hallway. "Hurry up before dinner gets cold!"

We walked down the hallway and to the dining room. Lon stood at the door and smiled as we passed by him. The table was set with five plates of pasta, along with silverware, drinks, and a large bowl of bread and salad.

"Please, enjoy," Lon said.

"Wow... You really didn't have to go this far to feed us," I said as I sat down.

Lon smiled. "I insist. It's a wonderful feeling when you do all you can to help someone."

I returned the smile. "You have a point there." I glanced at Zoroark, who are with Pikachu, Sylveon, and Dedenne. _"See?"_

Zoroark rolled her eyes and dove nose-first into her meal. _"I'm just here for the ride."_

I shook my head and reached for my fork. I glanced at Clemont, who stared at his plate of food.

"Now, what?" I said.

Clemont squirmed in his seat. "It's just... there are five places. It's like Lon knew we were coming."

"Like I said, he probably saw us while we were walking down the forest path and prepared."

Clemont's concerned expression didn't falter, and neither did Sylveon's. Everyone else happily ate their meals, but these two slowly and nervously nibbled. By the time we were done, they had barely made a dent on their plates.

"What's wrong, Clemont? You hardly ate your dinner," Bonnie said.

Clemont smiled. "I'm not in the mood for food right now."

Bonnie pouted. "I don't want you going to bed hungry."

"I'll have a snack later, if needed."

"Thank you, Lon, for this meal," Serena said.

"It's my pleasure," Lon said. "I'll clean up your plates, and then we can have some tea. Until then, please wait in the living room."

We rose from the table and headed down the hallway.

"I feel bad for thinking this place was haunted. Lon is such a nice guy," Serena said.

"That's why you shouldn't judge a book by its cover," Bonnie said.

"...But you were the one who wanted to pass on the house when you heard it wasn't haunted," Ash sweatdropped.

Bonnie scowled. "Well, I changed my mind!"

Clemont bowed his head. "I still think we should keep our guards up." We paused and turned to him. "There are some things that aren't adding up. I know you've made your points, Rylee, but I don't want to leave out other possibilities."

"What do you mean?" Serena said.

"Well, if Lon is the only one living in this mansion, how was he able to prepare the towels and our food so quickly? It doesn't seem like we just _saw_ us heading his way... it's more like he actually knew ahead of time that we were coming."

"You really think that?" Ash said.

"Yes, I do. There was something else, too. During our meal, I thought I saw something move along the wall. I only saw it in my peripheral, but it looked like a tall, round creature."

"You sure you didn't imagine?"

"Of course I didn't!"

Lon poked his head out from another hallway. "This way," he said. Clemont yelped and whirled around.

We followed Lon to the living room, where the coffee table was set with five sets of teacups. Clemont glanced at me, and I rolled my eyes. We sat at the couches and poured tea into our cups.

"Hey, Lon," Serena said, "we heard from the town nearby that this house is haunted. Why do they think that?"

Lon bowed his head. "There is a reason for that," he said. We lowered our teacups and turned to Lon. "One night many years ago, I found myself lost in these woods. I found this house while trying to escape the rain. The lights were off, and I had to light a candle on the nearby table in order to see my way around. It seemed I was the only one in the mansion."

I glanced around me. My friends watched with enthralled expressions. Sylveon trembled in my lap, and I gently place a hand on her back. Next to me, Clemont cowered behind Bonnie. Bonnie, on the other hand, had a big grin on her face as she listened, her eyes sparkling.

"Eventually, I made my way to the kitchen," Lon continued. "As I looked around, the only source of light coming from the dim candle in my hand, I found a man curled up in the far corner of the room. As I approached him, he quickly turned around. 'Stay back!' he cried. I was surprised at first. 'I'm not talking to you,' he said. 'Can't you see them? Behind you... there are a horde of faceless men!'"

On cue, lightning struck outside. I jumped in my seat and glanced outside. Clemont leaped backwards and fell over the back of the couch.

"Well? What happened after that?" Bonnie said, bouncing in her seat.

Lon looked at Eureka in surprise. "Was that story not scary to you?"

"No."

"Hm... Well, my intention was to entertain you with a scary story..." Lon sighed. "Forgive me. I kept telling scary stories to my visitors, but it looks like they now believe this place is really haunted."

Lightning struck again. A loud crash came from upstairs, which disturbed the small candle chandelier hanging above us. My friends looked to Lon.

"I didn't do that," Lon said, his hands raised in defense.

The framed painting hanging behind Serena and Ash fell off its nail and hit the ground. Serena and Ash yelped.

As I watched the wall, something began to take form. The intangible silhouette move quickly along the walls.

 _What the...?_

The silhouette turned towards us, its facial features barely visible to me. It paused for a few moments before it disappeared.

 _Did it know I saw it?_

"There really are ghosts here!" Bonnie hopped from her seat. "Where are you ghosts? Come out so I can see you!"

Clemont emerged from the couch and adjusted his glasses. "Looks like this is a job for science!" Clemont yanked a giant metal detector from his backpack- _how_ that could fit in there, I have no idea. "This machine should pick up and strange happenings going on and interpret what's really going on around here." Clemont scanned the room. "We should check each floor, starting with the second."

We left the living room and headed up the stairs to the second floor. We walked closely behind Clemont, who slowly waved the ghost detector side to side while staring at the radar attached.

"Anything?" Ash said.

"Not yet..." Clemont said.

Bonnie smirked. "Maybe it's broken." Clemont glared at her.

"Maybe the weather made all that happen. Lon told that story just to scare us. There's probably nothing wrong-" Serena said. Her face paled. "Ash... Look behind you."

"Huh?" Ash looked and gasped. His shadow danced along the floor with a cheeky grin. Clemont screamed. "Clemont, check it with your machine."

"R-Right!" Clemont placed the end of the ghost detector over the shadow. The shadow scurried away. "There's a response, but..."

I scanned the room and found another silhouette. This one stood directly behind Ash, its arms wrapped around him. The silhouette was a little clearer to see- it was as tall as Ash with a purple body completely round like a circle. It had a large grin.

"Ash, duck!" I cried. Ash and the silhouette both looked at me.

"What?!" I brought my hands together and formed an orb of AncientPower. Ash yelped and sank to the ground. I hurled the AncientPower at the silhouette. It scurried away, and the AncientPower smashed into the wall, leaving a large crater. "Why did you do that?!"

"There was something there," I said. "Did you pick up anything, Clemont?"

"Y-Yes, I got a response... What did you see?" Clemont said.

 _A purple creature with a large, round body..._

I cried out. "I know what's going on! It's-"

Something like a hand clamped over my mouth, and my voice stopped abruptly. Another hand wrapped around my torso. As I thrashed, the hands lifted me off the ground so I floated in the air. Zoroark fell off my shoulder. I tried to yell, but it came out in muffles. My friends screamed.

"Rylee's being possessed!" Serena said.

"Cool!" Bonnie cried.

 _"Zoroark, use Shadow Ball!"_ I said.

 _"What? But I'll hit you!"_ Zoroark said.

 _"Just do it!"_

Zoroark lifted back her head, and a Shadow Ball formed at her nose. She launched it at me. The invisible creature released me and hurried away. With my freedom back, I thrust my hand forward and summoned a small shield of Protect. The Shadow Ball bounced off the Protect and flew through the window. Glass shrieked and rained down to the ground far below. I landed on my feet, panting quietly, and quickly scanned the area.

"Are you okay, Rylee?" Clemont said.

"Yeah," I said. "Your machine?"

Clemont checked the radar. "It's picking up these things, but... I can't tell what they are."

The pair of hands reappeared again, but this time they grabbed Clemont's ghost detector. Clemont shrieked as he soared through the air.

"Hey! P-P-Put me down!" he said. "This is what I get for trying to oppose the ghosts with science!"

The hands ripped the ghost detector off Clemont's back. I extended my arm and created a platform of Protect for Clemont to land on. I tilted the platform up at an angle, and Clemont slid off and landed on his butt.

"Are you all right, Clemont?" Ash said. Clemont replied with a dazed groan.

The ghost detector flew into a nearby room.

"Hey! Give that back!" Bonnie cried. She chased the ghost detector into the room.

"Wait, Bonnie!" Clemont scrambled to his feet, and we hurried into the room.

Bonnie leaped into the air and landed on the ghost detector. The detector squirmed to try and throw her off, but it eventually gave up and floated to the ground. Music filled the air, and we looked and saw a piano on the other side of the room. The catchy tune reached the rest of the room, and the curtains and a chair began to dance.

I held an arm in front of my friends as they tried to step forward. "Wait," I said.

My eyes narrowed on the piano, specifically the silhouette sitting on the piano bench. The back of my eyes warmed up as they glowed purple. The silhouette grew shape and color, turning into...

"Aha!" I cried. I thrust my finger at the Gengar sitting on the piano bench. I looked to the chair and curtains, and the silhouettes shifted into a Ghastly and a Haunter. "I see you!"

The Ghost Pokémon stopped what they were doing and stared at me. They turned visible and startled my friends.

"Very impressive," Lon said. "I'm surprised that you were able to see them."

"So, you knew they were here?" I said.

Lon smiled and looked to the Ghost-type trio. They grinned and stepped to Lon's side.

"I hope you don't mind the scare; they believe scaring visitors is the greatest welcoming service," Lon said. "Gengar and the others have lived here with me. They're good friends of mine."

"You could have told us earlier..." Ash sighed.

"But that would have ruined the surprise. See? _This_ is why people think this house is haunted."

Sylveon sighed. " _Thank goodness._ "

Clemont stood up straight and laughed, albeit a bit nervously. "I told you this could all be explained with science!"

"Oh, no, no, no," I said. I turned to the others and folded my arms. "I _told_ you all that Pokémon were behind this. There's no such thing as ghosts. Sorry to break the news to you, Bonnie..."

We looked to the ghost detector, but Bonnie wasn't there.

"Where's Bonnie?" Clemont said.

"She was just here a moment ago," Serena said. She looked to the Ghost-type Pokémon. "Did you do this?"

" _Huh?_ " Gengar said. He shook his head. " _Wasn't us._ "

"Where did she go?" Clemont said.

"Maybe she went back to the living room," Ash said. "I'll go check."

"Wait, Ash-"

Ash hurried out of the room and turned the corner. A second later, the hallway filled with his scream. We sprinted into the hallway, but Ash was gone.

"Ash?! Ash!" Serena cried. "What happened?"

"He just... vanished?" Clemont said.

"Ash and Bonnie should still be around here somewhere. Let's look for them," I said.

We headed downstairs and looked around. Clemont crawled underneath the tablecloth spread over a table and Serena checked a small, square hole in the wall.

"Anything?" I called from a room over.

"No..." Clemont said.

"Nothing here, either-" I heard Serena gasp and scream.

"Serena!"

I leaped from the room. Serena was gone, and Clemont knelt where she once was. Lon hurried down the stairs. "What happened?!" I said.

Clemont looked over his shoulder. "Serena just fell through a trapdoor!"

"Trap... door?" Lon's eyes widened, and he clutched his forehead.

"Are you okay?" I said, resting a hand on his shoulder. The Ghost-type Pokémon hovered around Lon.

"I just remembered something..." Lon straightened. "There's another path like this in the living room. It's possible your friends are down there. Come with me." We followed Lon to the living room. "Underneath the rug."

Clemont knelt and pulled the rug bag. Underneath was a black door. Clemont opened the door. We peered down the stone stairs that led into the darkness.

"That's it," Lon said. He clutched his forehead once more. His knees went weak, and I supported him. "I... I feel like I'm forgetting something..."

"You should go sit down," I said.

"Forgetting something..." Clemont said. He perked up and looked to me. "Rylee, do you think you can help resurface Lon's memories? Like you've done for me before?"

"Would that be okay, Lon?"

"It would be a great help," Lon said.

"I'll go ahead. Lon, you should wait here. Rylee, once you're done, come and find me," Clemont said.

I stared thoughtfully at Clemont and nodded. "Okay. Take Sylveon and Zoroark with you... you know, in case you run into anything."

Clemont blinked in surprise. He smiled and turned to my Pokémon. "Let's go," he said.

Sylveon and Zoroark nodded, and the three climbed down the stairs. I helped Lon over to the couch.

"Now, just relax," I said. "Whatever memories are buried in your subconscious, I can resurface them so you can remember."

"Thank you," Lon said.

I held Lon's hand in between mine and closed my eyes. His hand was surprisingly cold. Images flooded into my mind, and I squeezed Lon's hand, transferring the memories to him.

I saw a young boy with glasses too big for his face kneading dough with his mother. The boy looked up to his mom with a big grin and said something; the mother smiled in response.

"Is that you?" I said.

"Yes, from when I was a boy," Lon said.

"You've lived here for a long time."

"Indeed."

The memory continued. It jumped a few years, showing young Lon in front of a basement door. The door was covered in strange charms.

Lon gasped and opened his eyes. The images vanished, and I sat back.

"I remember now," Lon said. "When I was a boy, strange things kept happening to be in this house. I asked my father to build me a basement- the one down those stairs- that no one except me could enter. He even made passages all over the house that led to it, so I could enter from anywhere in the house. Those passages included the trapdoors; your friends must have stumbled across them and found themselves in the basement.

"However, the strange happenings continued. My father called a medium, who left us with many charms that ward off evil spirits. I placed those charms on the basement door so not even the paranormal could enter that room."

"Those strange happenings must have been because of Gengar and the others," I said. I glanced at the Pokémon. "Right?"

The Ghost-type trio giggled among each other. I smiled. Lon sat back and laughed.

"Now I understand," Lon said. "It appears it was all a misunderstanding. My friends just wanted to play back then."

"Rylee!" My friends called from the basement. I glanced at the stairs leading to it.

"You better go see them," Lon said.

I nodded and stood. I bowed. "I'm glad this was all cleared up. I'll go explain everything to my friends." I headed for the stairs. At the top, I stopped. "Oh, that reminds me. Back at dinner, my Pokémon and I were having a telepathic conversation. How is it that you could hear what we were saying?"

Lon, for some reason, didn't answer. Instead, he stared at me with a warm smile. I raised an eyebrow.

"Rylee!" I turned to the stairs and watched my friends hurry up the stairs. "Didn't you hear us calling?"

"Yeah, sorry, I was talking to Lon-" I turned back to the couches. However, Lon and the Ghost-type trio were gone. "Huh? Where did Lon go?"

"Rylee... Look at this," Serena said, holding out a photograph. I accepted it and looked at it.

"This is Lon when he was a boy. The picture looks pretty old..."

"Look what's on the back."

I turned the photograph over. On the back was a date written in pencil, which was slightly smeared: July 14th...

"1758?!" I said. "This picture is from over 200 years ago!"

We looked back to the couch where Lon sat just a few moments ago.

"Then that means..." Ash said.

We looked among each other with wide eyes. There was a loud crash of thunder, and we all screamed.

Consciousness gripped me, and I opened my eyes. The sun leaked through the branches of the forest's trees. I sat up and rubbed my eyes.

"Where are we?" Ash said. "It's morning already? What happened to the storm?"

"What happened to the mansion? Where did Lon and the others go?" Serena said.

"What are you guys talking about?" Bonnie said. "Did you all somehow have the same dream last night? You were tossing and turning all night."

I glanced at Bonnie. She noticed my gaze and flashed a bright grin.

"Come on, I can see the Pokémon Center from here. Let's get going!"

As Bonnie turned, she shot me a quick wink. I perked up in surprise. With a giggle, Bonnie jogged down the path.

"Don't go too far ahead, Bonnie! Wait for us!" Clemont called. My friends gathered their things and stood. "Come on, Rylee."

I sighed and smiled. _Bonnie, you clever girl..._ I climbed to my feet and jogged to catch up with the others.


	47. A Blast to the Past

I lifted my hand over my eyes and looked out towards the sunset-kissed view. The tops of trees glowed orange. "It's getting late," I said. I lowered my hand and turned to the others. "Maybe we should stop and set up camp before it gets dark."

"Can't we walk just a little longer? I'd like to sleep inside tonight..." Serena said.

"It looks like we might," Clemont glanced at the sky. Dark clouds started to roll in. "I think it might rain soon."

Serena fished her Town Map from her pocket and turned it on. The brightness of the screen lightly reflected off her face. "Hey, look!" Serena turned the Town Map around and pointed to a spot on the map. "There's a hotel nearby. We can stay there."

Ash raised his palm up, and a raindrop fell onto it. "We should hurry," he said.

We jogged down the path as it began to sprinkle. The rain picked up, and we shifted into a sprint. The hotel appeared in the distance, its lights shining like a beacon. We scurried underneath the extended ledge and wrung out our dripping clothes.

"What is this, the second time we've gotten caught in the rain in the last few months?" I said, pulling my hair over my shoulder and twisting the water out.

"Third." Ash took off his hat and shook out his hair. Water droplets flew off and hit the ground. He slid his hat back on. "I counted."

The doors slid open automatically as we approached, and we entered the hotel. We looked around the lobby, which was extremely rundown. The marble walls were cracked, and some of the pieces had broken off and were scattered on the ground. The floors were dusty and worn. A large, stone sculpture stood in the center of the room, but the very tip had broken off and lay at its feet.

"What the-?" Serena mumbled. "The Town Map said this was a hotel... It looks like no one's used this place in years."

"Well, the lights are still on," Bonnie said. She lowered her voice. "This place is a dump."

"Bonnie!" Clemont hissed.

A head poked up from behind the front desk. "Oh! Welcome," said an old man dressed in a red and gold bellboy uniform.

"Hi, um... We'd like a room," Ash said.

"Of course. This way, please."

The man stepped out from behind the desk and led us to the elevator. Bonnie paused to admire a picture on the wall of a younger man standing next to a Krookodile.

"What's this?" Bonnie said.

"That picture was taken the day this hotel opened," the man said.

"You have a battlefield here?" Ash said, his eyes twinkling.

"Yes..." His expression faltered. The man turned towards the elevator again. "Come, now, let's get you to your room."

We glanced at one another and followed the bellboy. We climbed up to the second floor and to the door to our room. The bellboy unlocked the door and handed the key to Clemont.

"Here is your room. I hope you enjoy your stay," the bellboy said. He bowed and headed back to the elevator.

Clemont opened the door, and we stepped inside our room. Bonnie ran over to one of the beds and dove on top of it. Ash slid his backpack off and set it on his bed.

"Let's go check out that battlefield," Ash said.

"But we just got here. Can't we have some time to relax?" Serena said.

"You can stay here if you'd like. I'm going to the battlefield for some training!" Ash turned on his heel and hurried out of the room.

"W-Wait, Ash! You don't even know where it is!" Clemont said.

Ash skidded to a stop and turned. "Well, you'll have to find out and take me there! I'll meet you at the elevator!"

Ash turned the corner. Clemont sighed. We stepped out of the room, and Clemont locked the door.

"He ran right past the map," I said. I studied the map. "Looks like its back on the first floor."

We regrouped with Ash and entered the elevator. The doors opened on the first floor, and we hurried down to the end of the hallway. Light peeked through the bottom of the doors. Ash grabbed the handles with a grin and threw the doors open.

A blast of noise hit us. Men and women standing on the sidelines roared, their fists punching the air. The walls were covered with brightly-colored graffiti. The battlefield was already occupied with a battle. An elderly man dressed in a blue suit and his Pangoro took one side, and the man and his Krookodile from the picture in the lobby took the other.

"Pangoro, Tackle!"

"Krookodile, Dig!"

Pangoro lunged towards Krookodile. Krookodile sunk its claws into the ground and disappeared under the battlefield. Pangoro stopped and looked around. The ground beneath it shattered, and Krookodile leaped out and punched Pangoro in the chin.

"Hammer Arm!"

"Mud-Slap!"

Krookodile opened its mouth and launched a column of mud at the charging Pangoro. Mud coated its face, obstructing its vision, and it swung wildly.

"Dodge and use Hyper Beam!"

Krookodile leaped out of the way and unleashed a Hyper Beam from its mouth. The middle of the battlefield exploded, and once the smoke subsided, Pangoro lay unconscious on the ground.

"Pangoro is unable to battle! Krookodile wins!" the referee cried. "The winner of the battle is the hotel owner, Mantle!"

" _That's_ the hotel owner?" Bonnie said. She folded her arms. "I don't like the look of this guy..."

"Bonnie, be nice," Clemont said.

"She's right," Serena said. "Something about this guy seems... unnerving."

"What do you mean?" Ash said.

The older man hurried onto the battlefield and returned Pangoro back to its Poké Ball. Mantle walked over to the old man and snatched his Poké Ball from his hand.

"Thanks so much for the battle," Mantle said. "Pangoro fought well. He'll be a great addition to my party."

My eyes widened.

"W-Wait. Please!" the older man said.

"Pangoro would be better in my hands anyways," Mantle continued. "It belonged to a weak Trainer."

"Don't take Pangoro from me. We've been together for the last 20 years! It's my partner!"

"Well, now it's _mine_. Boys."

Mantle snapped his fingers, and two younger thugs appeared at the old man's side. They grabbed him and dragged him towards the door.

"Stop! Let me go! Please! Pangoro!"

"Rylee," Clemont said quietly, "calm down."

I noticed my entire body had tensed up, and my clenched fists trembled. I grit my teeth and marched onto the battlefield.

"Hey!" I cried. Mantle turned halfway and raised an eyebrow, his eyes half-closed in disinterest. "What do you think you're doing?! You can't take that man's Pokémon away from him!"

"That geezer and I made a bet, and whoever lost handed over their Pokémon," Mantle said. "And who do you think _you_ are to say anything?"

"I'm someone who has the right mind to not make their Pokémon prizes! You will give that man back his Pangoro, or I'll-!"

"You'll what? Take it from me? Do you know who you're dealing with?" Mantle waved the Poké Ball in my face. Mantle's eyes slid down to Sylveon. "Say... That's a beautiful Sylveon you've got there. I've never seen a shiny before."

I stepped my leg in front of Sylveon. She wrapped her ribbons around my leg.

" _Don't_ look at her," I said, my tone dark.

"Listen here, little lady," Mantle's goons had returned, and they stood behind me. Their smiles sickened me, "What Mantle says, goes. I hope you're not lookin' for trouble."

"Is that supposed to intimidate me?" Protect started to form at my fingertips. "Do _you_ know who you're dealing with?"

"Rylee, stop!" I heard Ash cry.

A gust of wind burst from the piles of trash nearby. Mantle and his goons stumbled back as the wind pushed against them. I looked around, my hair whipping at my face, to try and find the source.

"Come on!" A hand grabbed my wrist and dragged me out the door. Zoroark turned on my shoulder and blocked the door with Protect.

We turned the corner and jumped into the storage closet. My friends caught their breath. I ripped by wrist from Clemont's grip.

"Why did you stop me? I could have taken them!" I said.

"You were getting out of hand. You could have hurt them if we didn't stop you," Clemont said.

"I had everything under control!" Clemont folded his arms and stared at me with a stoic expression. I scoffed and turned away.

"So, what was the gust of wind fro-" My question was interrupted when a Rotom floated in front of my face. It grinned and waved its lightning bolt-shaped plasma arms.

" _Hiya!_ " Rotom said.

"So, you saved us from Mantle and his goons?" Bonnie said. Rotom nodded. "What are you doing in a rundown place like this?"

" _That jerk isn't the true owner of this place. Weston is the one who built this place, the one it really belongs to! But then Mantle came along. He battled Weston for the rights to the hotel; if he didn't, then Mantle would battle the guests and take their Pokémon. That guy makes me so mad._ "

"So, Weston lost against Mantle?" Ash said.

Rotom bowed its head. " _Yeah, but... it's my fault. I was supposed to battle against Mantle's Krookodile, but I ran. I'm the one that made Weston lose his hotel. Now he works as the receptionist. He probably hates me._ "

"That can't be true," Serena said. Rotom sighed. "Is there anything we can do to help?"

Rotom perked up. " _There... there is one thing..._ " Rotom said. " _Follow me!_ "

Rotom flew out of the storage closet. We hurried out and followed Rotom to the elevator. Rotom pressed the down button, and the doors opened.

" _Get in._ " We obeyed and stepped inside the elevator. " _Are you guys ready?_ "

"Ready... for what?" Ash said.

When the doors closed, Rotom phased into the button panel. The panel glowed brightly, and it crackled with electricity. The dial above the elevator which showed what floor we were on glowed, and a bottom half appeared. The numbers, however, counted down to -10.

"H-How did you do that?" Clemont said. Rotom answered with a giggle. "That's not a good response!"

" _Hang on, everyone!_ "

The down button lit up, and the elevator plummeted down the shaft. We clung to the railings.

"Hey, look!" We looked to Bonnie, who's body had lifted off the ground. She let go of the railing and floated above the ground. "Cool! I'm flying!"

"B-Bonnie, hold on or else you'll fall!" Clemont said.

"C'mon, Clemont! This is fun!" Bonnie flew over and yanked Clemont's hands off the railing. Clemont screamed as he somersaulted through the air.

The elevator came to a screeching halt. Bonnie landed on her butt, and Clemont landed on his face.

"Are you guys okay?" I said.

"That was fun! Can we do it again?" Bonnie said.

"Please, no," Clemont groaned. He lifted his head and fixed his crooked glasses.

The elevator dinged, and the doors opened. Ash peeked his head out.

"Whoa," he said. We stepped out of the elevator. The walls and decorations looked much better than before, as if brand new. "This doesn't look like the basement."

"It's not." Bonnie pointed at the sign across from us. "We're still on the first floor."

"What did you do?" I said to Rotom. Hearing no response, I turned to the elevator. "Rotom?"

Rotom giggled from within the button panel.

" _I'll be here,_ " it said. " _When you're done, come to the elevator, and I'll take you back._ "

I glanced back at my friends, whose bewildered expressions matched mine.

"Look." Serena directed our attention down the hall. The double doors leading to the battlefield had light peeking through.

"What? They're still battling?" I said, my fists clenched.

"Rylee, I really think you should slow down and-" Clemont said.

I ignored him and marched towards the doors. My friends followed close behind. I gripped the handles and threw the doors open.

"Huh?"

The battlefield was full of people, but they were older men and women dressed in expensive gowns and suits. The walls were rid of graffiti.

"Where did all the other people go?" Bonnie said. She narrowed her eyes on the battlefield. "Who's that with Mantle?"

We followed her gaze to the middle of the battlefield. Mantle stood before a man dressed in a cream suit.

"P-Please, leave my guests out of this," the man said. "I don't want to cause them any trouble."

"Then battle me," Mantle said. He pulled out a Poké Ball and smirked. "I promise this won't take long."

"Is that Weston?" Ash said. "He looks so much younger than I remember."

"Wait a minute," Clemont said. "Didn't Rotom say that Weston used to be the hotel owner, but then Mantle forced him to battle for the rights to the building?"

"But that happened _years_ ago! Unless..." Ash's eyes widened. "Those floor numbers didn't really mean floors. They must have meant years... We're _ten years_ in the past?!"

"Shh!" Serena said. A few people glanced our way, but they lost interest.

"The past..." I whispered.

"Let's go, Krookodile!" Mantle tossed the Poké Ball into the air, and Krookodile came out. Krookodile turned to Rotom and roared. Rotom yelped and scurried our way. It phased into the outlet on the wall.

"R-Rotom! Come back!" Weston cried.

Mantle chuckled. "Looks like your Pokémon is as weak as you," he said. "I win by default."

Weston's eyes widened.

"We've got to do something," I said.

"Wait!" Ash cried. He marched onto the battlefield; we followed behind. "You can't win by default when the battle hasn't even officially started yet."

"Huh? And who are _you_?" Mantle said.

Ash ignored his question. "Give us five minutes. We'll find Rotom and bring it back."

The hotel attendees erupted in murmurs, wholeheartedly agreeing with Ash. Mantle scoffed.

"Five minutes. If you don't bring Rotom back in time, then the hotel is mine." Mantle smirked. "Better hurry."

Ash turned to Weston. "Come with us, please."

"Uh... Okay..." Weston said.

We left the battlefield and entered the storage closet again.

"Thank you for stepping in back there," Weston said. "Um... who are you?"

"We've come from the fu-!" Bonnie started, but Clemont clamped her mouth shut.

"We've come to help you," he said. "Weston, if you don't go back there and defeat that guy, Mantle, you'll regret it for the rest of your life."

"But I can't do this without Rotom..." Weston said.

"That's why we brought you in here," Serena said. "Rotom! You can come out now!"

A nearby cord crackled, and Rotom emerged.

"Rotom!" Weston said. "Thank goodness you're all right."

 _"Y-You're not mad at me?"_ Rotom said.

"I'm sorry that I tried to force you to battle. It's my fault we're in this mess."

"But you can still go back and resolve this," Ash said.

"However... Rotom and I don't have much battle experience."

"We'll just have to come up with a plan." Ash cupped his chin in his hand. He turned to me. "Remember when we met Professor Oak on Torom Island?"

I perked up. "Yeah. Torom Island has a large population of Rotom, and we were able to encounter a few while we were there," I said. "Ash, your Pokédex."

Ash nodded and fished his Pokédex from his pocket. He scrolled through the list of Pokémon until he came to Rotom.

 _Rotom, the Plasma Pokémon. With a body made of plasma, Rotom is able to permeate various kinds of electrical devices, causing all sorts of problems._

"He showed us an episode from his T.V. show, which discussed Rotom," I said.

"Professor Oak has... a T.V. show?" Bonnie said.

I chuckled. "I know, right? He said that Rotom has five formes, which happen when it enters a certain appliance."

"That's right!" Clemont cried abruptly. "Let's see... Krookodile is a Ground- and Dark-type. Rotom in its normal forme is an Electric- and Ghost-type, which puts it at an advantage. But if Rotom were to use one of its other formes that _does_ have an advantage type, it may be enough to defeat Mantle!"

"Is that all right with you, Rotom?" Weston said. Rotom nodded. "We're in. Which forme would be best?"

"Ground is weak to water and ice, so..." Clemont walked over to a line of washing machines propped up against the wall and patted the top of one. "The Wash forme and Frost formes would be best. In Wash forme form, Rotom is able to use Hydro Pump, and in Frost forme, Rotom can use Blizzard. After the battle starts, send Rotom back to this room so it can enter a washing machine or a refrigerator and change formes."

"Do you think these two formes alone can stop Mantle?"

"I'm not sure... But if it's still standing afterwards, there's still the Heat, Fan, and Mow formes. Heat Rotom can use Overheat, Fan Rotom can use Air Slash, and Mow Rotom can use Leaf Storm."

"All right. Let's go out there and win this!" Ash said.

* * *

We opened the doors and entered the battlefield room once again. My friends and I remained at the sidelines while Weston walked onto the battlefield.

"You came back," Mantle said. "I thought you got scared and ran away."

"I didn't," Weston said. "I accept your challenge. If I win, you will stop doing these ridiculous bets."

"All right. And when _I_ win, this hotel is mine."

Weston gulped. "V-Very well. But I'm not going to lose." He turned to Rotom. "Are you ready?"

Rotom nodded and flew onto the battlefield.

"The battle between Weston and Mantle will now begin. The battle will be over when either side's Pokémon is unable to battle," the referee said. "And... begin!"

"Rotom, use Electro Ball!"

A ball of electricity formed at the tips of Rotom's plasma arms, and it launched it at Krookodile. Krookodile reached out its hand and crushed the Electro Ball.

"Electric-type moves won't work on my Krookodile," Mantle said with a cheeky grin.

"Well, then... I guess we'll have to try something else," Weston said. "Rotom! The socket! Go!"

Rotom nodded and flew towards socket. It phased through a disappeared.

"It ran away again?" Mantle said.

"No, it didn't," Weston said.

The ground rumbled, and the doors burst open. Wash Rotom darted onto the battlefield and giggled.

"What is that?!" Mantle said.

"Use Hydro Pump!"

Wash Rotom raised the tube hanging off its back and unleashed a column of water. It slammed into Krookodile and launched him back.

"You said this was one-on-one!" Mantle said.

"I'm still keeping my word. It may be a different form, but this is still the same Rotom," Weston said.

Mantle growled. "Krookodile, use Hyper Beam!"

Krookodile opened its jaw and attacked with Hyper Beam.

"Now, Rotom!"

Wash Rotom glowed blue. The Hyper Beam hit. The washing machine shattered to pieces and Rotom floated above it.

"Looks like Krookodile's still standing," Serena said.

"But that's okay. Rotom's not done yet, either," Ash said.

"Rotom, the socket again!"

Rotom flew into the socket once more. A few moments later, the doors flew open again, and Frost Rotom entered the room. One by one, Rotom displayed its formes and attacked Krookodile with its signature type moves. Upon its final forme, Mow Rotom, and using Leaf Storm, Krookodile lay unconscious on the ground.

"Krookodile is unable to battle. The winner is Rotom!" the referee said. "Which means the winner of this battle is the hotel owner, Weston!"

"There, it's settled," Weston said. "This is the last of your strange challenges."

Mantle returned Krookodile to its Poké Ball and scoffed. "As if. If I can't win peacefully, I'll just have to use force. Boys!"

Mantle's thugs stepped onto the battlefield. One held a broom and the other held a chair.

"What Mantle says, goes," one thug said. "All right, old man. What do you say you rethink your promise?"

"You've got to be kidding..." I growled, my fists clenched. I stepped forward.

A hand grabbed my wrist, rather harshly.

"Rylee," I paused and glanced over my shoulder. Clemont wore a hard scowl, "stop. I know you don't like this- we don't either- but you're taking this too far. If you don't step back and think things through first, you'll do something you'll regret."

I gaped at Clemont. After a few moments, I closed my eyes and sighed. I scooped Zoroark into my free arm and offered her to Clemont.

"Okay," I said.

Clemont's scowled melted into surprise, and he held Zoroark. I turned and walked onto the battlefield. I stepped in front of Weston.

"Who are you?" Mantle said, stepping in between his goons.

"If you want Weston, you'll have to get through me first," I said. I smiled. "Unless you're afraid of a challenge."

"Stand aside, girl. You don't know who you're messing with."

"You're right; I don't." I raised a hand and beckoned tauntingly. "Why don't you show me?"

"You little-!" The goon with the broom advanced towards me.

I glanced over my shoulder and at Weston. "You might want to stand back."

Weston gulped and stumbled back. As if in slow motion, the thug swung the broom. As it grew dangerously close to my shoulder, I leaped into the air and landed on the broomstick. The broom snapped in half. I backflipped back onto the ground. The thug stumbled off to the side. I bent down and picked up the other half of the broom.

The second goon roared and raised the chair above his head. As he brought it down, I ducked out of the way and maneuvered behind him. He whirled around, swinging the chair with his body. I tossed the broken broom in the air and caught it with the brush part pointed towards the ground. I pivoted my feet to strengthen my stance, lifted the broomstick, and it met with the rampant chair. Shifting my weight, I swung one foot and slammed it into the thug's leg. He lost his balance and collapsed on the ground. I side-stepped, and the lack of resistance caused the thug to hurl the chair. It slammed against the ground and broke into pieces. I summoned a slab of Protect. It attached to the broken back of the chair, and I picked it up with my free hand.

I looked to Mantle, who's face contorted into fear. With a smile, I darted towards him at blinding speeds. Mantle yelped and brought his hands up to his face. I stabbed forward and skidded to a stop, landing behind him. The hotel attendees gasped around me. I stood up straight and turned to Mantle, who remained in his defense pose. His pants, however, came undone and fell around his ankles, revealing his Jigglypuff-patterned boxer briefs. Clemont covered Bonnie's eyes, and Serena covered her own.

Mantle whirled around, dropped to his knees, and bowed deeply, his face close to the ground.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Mantle said.

"I hope you're still able to keep your promise," I said.

"Yes! Yes, I will! I'll keep my promise! Please, forgive me!"

I chuckled and dropped the broken furniture pieces. Mantle flinched from the noise and looked up. I smiled and offered my hand.

"Thank you."

Mantle stared at my hand with wide eyes. He accepted it, and I pulled him to his feet. I walked over to Weston.

"T-Thank you so much," Weston said. "I don't know how to repay you."

I held up my hands. "It's fine, really. I'm glad we could help you keep your hotel."

"Rylee!" My friends hurried to my side. Bonnie jumped up and down. "That was _amazing_!"

"Thank you all for your help. I'm forever grateful to you," Weston said.

Something flashed in front of us, and I noticed a man holding a camera in front of his face.

"We should get going," Ash said.

We said goodbye to Weston and left the battlefield. We entered the elevator. The button panel glowed once more, and we were launched upward at incredible speeds. It ended as quickly as it started, and we left the elevator. The walls and floors were still pristine.

"Did it work? Are we back?" Serena said.

A fanfare of trumpets sounded from down the hallway, coming from the battlefield. We headed down the hallway and to the doors. Three bellboys guarded the doors.

"H-Huh?" Ash said. "Mantle?"

"Welcome, guests," Mantle said.

The other two bellboys opened the doors.

"What happened to you?" Ash said.

"My friends and I have been working here since the hotel's opening. The owner, such a kind and honest man, saw the good in us. Like an angel descended from heaven, he granted us a second chance!" Mantle wiped a tear from his eye. "Please, come in."

We entered the room. The lights dimmed, save a single spotlight. I stopped a few steps in, and my friends went ahead and disappeared further into the crowd.

 _The past..._

"Ladies and gentlemen! Thank you all for coming to celebrate our tenth anniversary!" Weston stood on a stage and in the spotlight. "My name is Weston, the owner of this hotel..."

I turned on my heel and ran out of the room. I palmed the elevator button, and the doors opened. I stepped inside. I looked up at the floor numbers; it was still a full circle. I eyed the button panel. I walked over and raised a hand. My finger hesitated in the air. With a deep breath, I pressed the -2 button. I stepped back, leaned my head against the wall, and closed my eyes.

Footsteps pounded down the hallway. My eyes snapped open, and I stood straight. As the doors started to close, Clemont lunged through the small gap, tripped, and fell to the ground. The doors closed.

"C-Clemont?" I said. "What are you doing?"

Clemont climbed to his feet and adjusted his glasses. "I'm coming with you."

My eyes widened, and I stammered. Clemont raised a hand and smiled.

"I'm coming with you."

I sighed and pressed my back against the wall. The button panel glowed, and the elevator plummeted. This time, it didn't last as long. The elevator stopped, and the doors opened. Clemont and I walked side by side through the hallways. We exited the hotel. I snuck a glance at Clemont before stretching my arm out. A platform of Protect appeared. We climbed on- Clemont sat while I knelt- and the Protect lifted into the air.

"Sorry I was being so frustrating," I mumbled. "I got so angry with what Mantle was doing that I wasn't thinking."

"It's not your fault," Clemont said. He chuckled. "Sorry for snapping at you... and for being a big hypocrite."

"What do you mean?"

Clemont took my hand and placed it on his shoulder. I closed my eyes. Images flooded into my mind. I saw Clemont having a stand-off against Keanan. As Clemont voiced his opinion, I opened my eyes and gaped at him.

"Wow..." I rested my hand back in my lap. "You said that?"

"Of course I did. It was the truth, after all. But then I turned around and became Keanan today."

"We all have our own way of handling situations. You and Keanan approach logically. My body acts before my brain can have a say, which can sometimes cause more trouble than what I began with. I really should use my head instead of my heart."

"I don't want that. I don't want you to abandon your heart. If you did, your actions would be meaningless," Clemont said. "How you handled Mantle in the end, that was you using _both_ your heart and your head. You executed a plan, but in the end, you forgave Mantle for his wrongdoings. But your heart... that's something that's truly inspiring."

I smiled. "I have you to thank. You're the one who balances me out."

Clemont gave me a small smile and looked forward. "Thanks, but... _I'm_ not the one."

* * *

~TPPOV~

The sun began to set as the Kanto region came into view. Rylee and Clemont landed in Vermillion City.

"I've never been to Kanto before," Clemont said. "In fact, I've never been outside Kalos before."

"I used to be the same way," Rylee said. Her voice grew quiet. "This way."

The two walked through the town, passing by many people and shops. Some owners were bringing things inside and closing their establishments for the day. Past the market was the train station. As they approached, Rylee saw people standing in front of the train. She and Clemont jumped behind a nearby tree and peeked their heads out.

The Unova group was saying their goodbyes. Iris hugged Rylee and hopped onto the train; Ash flashed a thumbs-up, promising a battle the next time they met, and walking away. Rylee and Cilan stared at one another.

Clemont dared a glanced at the Rylee at his side. His eyes widened as she watched the events taking place. Her eyes trembled, but they were soft, and her smile was gentle. He exhaled quietly and faced forward.

After the goodbye kiss, past Rylee pulled herself away and quickly walked out of the train station.

Rylee stepped out from the tree, a hand against her heart, and turned invisible. Clemont opened his mouth, but closed it again and bit his tongue. Despite her being invisible, Rylee's presence allowed Clemont to guess where she was. His eyes followed her.

Rylee slowly walked towards Cilan, mindful to keep her footsteps quiet, as he stared down the path. She stopped in front of him. Despite the two-year passage of time, Rylee hadn't grown at all; she had to crane her head a little to look at him. The fist laying against her heart tightened. She wanted to do something- anything- to stop his heartbreaking expression. She never saw it back then, so she didn't know he was capable of making such a face.

His expression, however, did falter, and confusion mingled in. Cilan's eyes dropped, directly staring into Rylee's. Rylee's throat closed, and she tensed as his grass green eyes bore into her wide eyes. She stepped back on her right foot as her heart pounded.

 _Does... he know I'm here?_

Rylee watched the tears pool in Cilan's eyes. She lifted a hand, eager to wipe them away, but she stopped herself. She exerted all her strength to bring her arm back to her side. Cilan bowed his head.

"Cilan, come on! The train's going to leave any minute!" Iris emerged from inside the train. She stopped. "Cilan... are you okay?"

Cilan swiped his arm, drying up his tears on his sleeve, and quickly walked away along the length of the train. His arm almost brushed against Rylee's, causing a shudder to crawl down her spine. She turned and watched him walk away. She heard Iris call out to him, but it sounded muffled to her.

The train bellowed, and smoke burst from its chimney. The vehicle hissed, and the wheels began to turn. The train pulled out of the station.

Clemont stepped out from behind the tree and walked to Rylee's side. Rylee turned visible.

"Why did you want to come here in the first place?" Clemont said.

"I don't know..." Rylee said quietly. "Clemont?"

"Yes?"

"...Do you really think... there's still a chance to be with him?"

Clemont looked to Rylee in surprise. The surprise melted into a smile, and he looked forward again. "Yeah. I really do. Do you?"

A tear slid down Rylee's cheek. Her gentle smile returned.

"I'd like to."

"I'm glad to hear that."

Rylee stretched her hand out and summoned another platform of Protect. The two climbed on and flew up and away from the Kanto region.

"Thank you," Rylee said after the long pause.

"For what?" Clemont glanced at her. Rylee kept her eyes forward.

"Just... thank you."

* * *

Iris and Haxorus walked along a path inside a forest near the Village of Dragons. Iris cradled a handwoven basket in her arms, which was already halfway filled with Oran Berries. Iris stopped and looked up at a nearby tree, which flourished with more Oran Berries. She pointed to the tree, and Haxorus nodded. He grabbed her by the waist and lifted her onto his shoulder. Iris reached up, plucked Oran Berries from the branches, and placed them inside the basket. Once she was done, she gently tapped the top of Haxorus' head, and he set her down.

"I think this is more than enough," Iris said. "We won't need to worry about Oran Berries for at least a month."

Haxorus looked at the basket and grunted. Iris chuckled and petted his snout.

"I can carry this by myself," she said. "I may not look it, but I'm pretty strong. Let's get these back to the Village."

Iris and Haxorus headed back up the path. Upon reaching the end of the forest, Iris stopped. Her eyes widened as images flooded into her mind.

She saw Cilan riding on Articuno's back. The two soared through the clear blue skies. Cilan's expression was stoic, and it looked like it had been that way for quite a while. Cilan scanned the area, and his eyes settled on a small village as it came into view. He smiled and pointed to the village. Articuno nodded and dove towards the ground.

The images stopped. Iris blinked several times to regather her surroundings.

Iris smiled. "Hey, I finally did it!" she said. After weeks of exhausting practice, with help from the Elder, Iris had finally mastered this strange power. No longer did the visions bring her physical pain. Haxorus snorted proudly, and Iris giggled.

Just in time, too.

"Haxorus," Iris said. She looked up at her partner and smiled. "It looks like we're going to be getting a visit soon."

Haxorus tilted his head curiously. Iris walked ahead.

"An old friend is coming."


	48. Dressed for Success

"Bonnie, don't run ahead," Clemont called. "You're going to get lost."

Bonnie spun around in circles as she stood underneath an array of hanging lights. "Look at the town! It's so pretty! This is all for the festival, right?"

"It looks like it," Ash said. "They really go all out. It must be an important festival."

A pair of kids ran by us. One was dressed as a Pumpkaboo and the other as a Gourgeist. We headed to the Pokémon Center. We approached the counter.

"Hi, Nurse Joy!" Ash said. "We-"

We paused when we saw Wigglytuff wearing Nurse Joy's pink hairloops. Nurse Joy stepped from behind Wigglytuff, and she wore Wigglytuff ears.

"Oh, hello!" Nurse Joy said.

"What's with the costumes?" Serena said.

"It's all part of the Gourgeist Festival. I guess this is your first time visiting this city. The costumes are a part of the festival. You'll see plenty of other people dressed in costumes, mostly of Pokémon."

"That sounds like fun! Can we join?"

"Of course!"

"How exciting! Which Pokémon should we dress up as?" Clemont said.

"We have plenty of costumes down the hall," Nurse Joy said. "Feel free to pick whichever one you like."

We followed Nurse Joy's directions and found the costume room. A dozen racks stretched from one side of the room to the other, each stuffed with costumes.

"Whoa," I said, "this festival is more important to the town than I thought."

"All right!" Serena said, brandishing her accessory case. "I'll make sure each of you walks out of here looking fabulous! Pick a costume you like, and I'll handle the rest!"

We roamed through the racks. One by one, my friends found their costumes, tried them on, and went to Serena for the finishing touches.

" _Ooh, ooh!_ " Sylveon said. She pulled a Tentacruel costume off the racks. " _I want to be a Tentacruel!_ "

"Great choice! Go and show that to Serena," I said.

Sylveon beamed and hurried through rows of costumes to find Serena.

" _So, what are you going to dress up as?_ " Zoroark said.

"Hm..." I flipped through costumes. "I don't know. Nothing really jumps out at me. What about you?"

Zoroark snickered. She leaped off my shoulder and glowed purple. Her hair was long, thick, and red, with a light blue band tied near the bottom. Her ears poked out the top of her head. She wore a black, sleeveless, skirted leotard. Black fur sprouted from the collar of the leotard and curled up and off her shoulders. She wore black, furry opera gloves, with the fingers replaced with long, red claws. Her long, black boots came to her thighs, with fur poking up. The tips of her boots were red.

"Whoa," I said. "This is my first time seeing human Zoroark. Definitely different from human Zorua."

Zoroark giggled and spun around. Her hair flowed with her. " _I guess Serena's fashion rubbed off on me._ "

"Wow, what a great costume, Rylee!" Serena said behind Zoroark. She was dressed as a Florges.

Zoroark's chocolate brown eyes glinted, and she glanced over her shoulder and shot Serena a mischievous grin. Serena yelped.

"That's Zoroark," I said, poking my head out from behind Zoroark's hair.

"I didn't know Zoroark could do this," Serena said. "It looks great."

Zoroark beamed with pride and tossed her hair over her shoulder. I rolled my eyes.

" _Look at me!_ " Sylveon circled around me, stopped in front of me, stood on her hind legs, and placed her front paws on my leg. Her ribbons were painted a grayish beige. Her face and underbelly were painted black, with her body and legs painted the same light blue as her ears and head. Her ears were red, and Serena had placed a red gem on the center of her forehead.

"You look just like a Tentacruel," I said, patting her head. Sylveon smiled, and she and Zoroark went to look at what other costumes the racks offered. I looked back at Serena. "Good job with the costume."

"Thanks!" Serena said. "So, what have you decided?"

"I don't know. There are so many options..."

" _Hey,_ " Zoroark called from a few racks over, " _I think we found one._ "

We regrouped with them. Zoroark pulled a costume from the rack and held it out.

Serena gasped. "It's perfect!" She gripped my arm. "Please, wear this one!"

I stared at the costume for an unhealthy amount of time. Zoroark grew impatient and plopped it in my arms. "All right," I said.

I went to the dressing room and tried the costume on. The dress was short, white, sleeveless, and made of soft, faux fur. The bottom ended in a V, creating tiny slits on both sides. The boots were heeled, light blue, and came to my shins. A trio of blue crystals extended at the end of the boots covered my knees. Attached to the collar of the dress were two long, light blue pieces of fabric shaped like wings that cascaded down my back. I straightened the light blue, elbow-length gloves and stepped out of the dressing room.

"You look _great_!" Serena gasped. "You look just like an Articuno!"

I glanced at Zoroark and Sylveon, who smiled, and looked back at Serena.

"Thanks," I said. I clapped my hands together. "Let's regroup with the others and head to the festival."

The four of us walked to the exit. Everyone was dressed in their costumes and waiting for us: Ash and Pikachu were dressed as a Snorlax and Psyduck, Bonnie and Dedenne were a Ludicolo and Kingler, and Clemont and Chespin were a Watchog and Pikachu.

"Okay, we're ready!" Serena said.

"Wow, you all look great!" Bonnie said. She ran her fingers over one of my wings. "The fabric is so smooth!"

"She's right," Clemont said. He smiled, a light blush on his cheeks. "You look... really nice."

I smiled. "Thank you."

We headed back to the lobby.

"Great costumes!" Nurse Joy said. "Now that you're dressed for the occasion, I have something to give you all."

Nurse Joy reached underneath the counter and pulled out bags of candy. She handed each of us one.

"There's more than just dressing up. Trading candy and other treats is also part of the festival."

"Thanks, Nurse Joy," Ash said.

Chespin drooled as he stared at his candy bag. Clemont reached down and snagged it as Chespin started to open it.

"I'll hold onto this for you," he said. "You can eat your candy after the festival."

Chespin pouted and mumbled under his breath.

"I hope you all have fun tonight! And make sure you stay safe, too!" Nurse Joy said.

"We will!" we said.

We left the Pokémon Center. The pair of kids we saw upon our arrival ran up to us, and we traded candy with them. The streets were alive with people. Shopkeepers kept their stores open late to take advantage of the traffic.

"It's been a while since we've been to a festival," I said. "The last one was in Coumarine City. Time sure does fly."

"Speaking of fly," Clemont said, "I say your costume is the best out of all of ours."

"Oh, come on, your costume's pretty good, too," I flicked the nose of his Watchog hat. I looked forward. "You know, I have an Articuno. My father lent her to me during my Unova journey."

"Really? Then... where is it now?" Clemont glanced at my necklace, silently counting the number of Poké Balls dangling from the chain. I smiled and hurried ahead to the others. "H-Hey!"

"Hey, guys, how about we head to the town square?" I said. "There might be some more festivities going on over there."

"Yeah!" Bonnie said, clutching handfuls of candy.

We wove through the streets. We cut across a side road that was deprived of people. The sudden lack of noise gave the alley an eerie feeling. As we walked, the air filled with low chanting. We stopped and listened. A group of Gourgeists emerged from the alleys and surrounded us.

"What's going on?" Ash said, eyeing the chanting Gourgeists. An elderly man dressed in a dark brown suit stood behind the Gourgeist. "Who are you?"

"Hand over that Pikachu, you thieving hooligans," the man said.

"Thieving?"

" _Hooligans?_ " Pikachu said.

"I'm sorry, sir, but you must be confused," I said.

"Gourgeist, Shadow Ball."

The Gourgeist opened its mouth and launched a Shadow Ball at me. I gasped. The Shadow Ball exploded in front of me. Zoroark stood in front of me, holding up her hand consumed in Shadow Claw.

" _Be careful!_ " Zoroark retracted the Shadow Claw and placed her hand on her hip. " _I just got these done._ "

"What was that for?!" Serena said.

"Gourgeist, fetch that Pikachu."

The Gourgeist behind us summoned and fired Leaf Storm.

"Pikachu, use Iron Tail!"

Pikachu leaped into the air, its tail shining, and scattered the Leaf Storm.

"Cut it out! We didn't do anything wrong!" Ash said.

"All Gourgeist, use Shadow Ball."

The Gourgeist surrounding us used Shadow Ball. One hit Pikachu and knocked him into Chespin. The rest hit the ground in front of us, creating a thick haze and obstructing our vision. When the haze subsided, the man and the Gourgeist were gone.

"Oh, no," Ash said. "Pikachu..."

" _What?_ "

We whirled around and saw Pikachu staring at us curiously.

" _What's with the looks?_ "

"So... they _didn't_ take Pikachu?" Serena said. "Then what was that all about?"

"Uh, guys," Clemont said. "Chespin's gone!"

"Chespin was dressed like Pikachu..." Bonnie said. "They must've taken Chespin by accident!"

Clemont groaned. "Oh, great."

Ash pulled out a Poké Ball. "Fletchinder, follow those Gourgeist!"

Ash tossed the Poké Ball in the air. It opened, and Fletchinder emerged from it. Fletchinder flew away.

"Let's go."

* * *

We followed Fletchinder out of the town and down a long, dirt path. We looked off in the distance and saw a large palace at the end of the path.

"Go check the palace for Chespin," Ash said.

Fletchinder nodded and flew off. A few minutes later, it came back.

" _Chespin's in there,_ " Fletchinder said.

"I hope it's all right," Clemont said.

We hurried to the palace doors. Ash ran up and tugged on the doors.

"It's locked," he said.

"We'll handle this," I said. "Stand back."

Everyone stepped back as Zoroark and I stood in front of the doors.

"On three," I said. "One, two, three!"

Zoroark and I lifted our legs and drove them into the doors. The doors burst open. I stood straight and smoothed my dress.

" _Being human is fun,_ " Zoroark grinned.

"What in the-?!" a short, stout man said. The butler next to him held a cage with Chespin inside. "Who are you people?"

"Count Pumpka, those are the people who stole Pikachu," the butler said.

"Ah, so you're the bad guys!"

"What are you talking about?! We didn't steal Pikachu; Pikachu is _my_ Pokémon!" Ash said.

"And you took the wrong Pokémon. That's my Chespin in that cage, and I want it back!" Clemont said.

"Chespin?" Count Pumpka said. Chespin waved sheepishly. The tape holding his leaf-like spikes down came off, and they popped back up. "You clever villains. You swapped out the real Pikachu for this fake!"

"We're not the villains here," I said. I pointed my thumb at Team Rocket standing next to him. "If anyone's a villain, it's those three over there."

Team Rocket started to sweat. The butler pressed one of the bricks, and it caved in. The ceiling opened, and a cage dropped over us.

"There," Count Pumpka said. "Stay there until this is all done. Then, you'll be properly punished." He turned back to Team Rocket. "Now, let's continue with what we discussed earlier. With Pikachu back in your hands, your Pumpkaboo will now become Prince Pumpkaboo's wife!"

"Y-Yes, just like we discussed!" Jessie said. James and Meowth glanced at each other.

" _Prince_ Pumpkaboo?" I said. I sighed and rubbed my temples. "Oh, great, more royalty to put up with."

"At least this time, the one being offered isn't me," Clemont sweatdropped.

"I disguised myself as you, so technically, _I_ was the one offered up." I shuddered at the memory.

"How are we going to get out of here?" Ash said, gripping the door.

Clemont cupped his chin in his hand. He glanced up at the top of the cage. "This cage is probably powered by electricity. If I can short-circuit the mechanism, I can open the door."

Clemont pushed a button on his backpack strap, and his Aipom Arm rose to the ceiling. It tapped the center tile, and it slid open, revealing a circuitry board. Meanwhile, the butler brought out a Pokémon Trade Machine.

"Wait... They're going to actually trade Pumpkaboo?" I said. "But that will-"

" _Shh,_ " Zoroark covered my mouth with her hand and snickered, " _I want them find out for themselves._ "

Jessie agreed to trade Pumpkaboo for Count Pumpka's Mawile. They stood on both sides of the trading machine and placed the Poké Balls inside. They migrated to their new owners.

"Wonderful!" Count Pumpka said. "Come out, Pumpkaboo!"

The Poké Ball opened, and Pumpkaboo emerged. Immediately, it began to glow bright blue. It evolved into Gourgeist.

"What? It evolved...?" Jessie said.

"Uh, excuse me!" I called from the cage. "Pumpkaboo is a trade evolution Pokémon; it can only evolve into Gourgeist when traded."

"Oh, my, that's right!" Count Pumpka said.

" _You have several Gourgeists running around here, not to mention your_ name _is 'Count Pumpka', and you mean to tell me you forget something as crucial as that?_ " Zoroark sighed. " _Please let this be the last time we affiliate with nobility. I walk away with a splitting headache every time._ "

Prince Pumpkaboo screamed at the sight of Gourgeist, and it flew behind Count Pumpka.

"Oh, dear! It looks like Prince Pumpkaboo doesn't like Gourgeist now that it's evolved," Count Pumpka said.

" _What_?!" Team Rocket cried.

"Ha _! Karma!_ " Zoroark said.

"You've got to be kidding me! After you incessantly kept _nagging_ for me to trade it?! Now that it's evolved, you've changed your mind?!" Jessie said. She pointed a finger at Prince Pumpkaboo. "Listen here, you little runt! I will not sit here and allow you to treat Gourgeist like this! You're too wound up over its appearance that you don't see its true value! You don't deserve to have some as wonderful as Gourgeist!"

With tear-filled eyes, Gourgeist lunged and embraced Jessie.

"I want Gourgeist back," Jessie said.

"O-Of course," Count Pumpka said.

They traded Pokémon once more. The butler handed Chespin to Team Rocket.

"Got it!" Clemont said.

The cage door swung open, and we hurried out.

"You've done your trading, now give me back my Chespin!" Clemont said.

"Chespin?" Team Rocket glanced at the cage.

" _L-Let me out..._ " Chespin wept.

"What are you talking about? It belongs to us!" Jessie said.

"Stop with the nonsense!" Ash said. "Why don't you take off those costumes and reveal yourselves, Team Rocket?"

"Well, well," James said. "Looks like the twerp has finally grown a brain."

Team Rocket ripped off their costumes, revealing their normal attire.

"I'm tired of this," I sighed. I darted forward and circled around Team Rocket. I snagged the cage from James' hands. I skidded to a stop, returning to my friends' side, and opened the cage. Chespin leaped into Clemont's arms. I stretched my arms over my head. "Now that that's out of the way, we don't have to hold back. Sylveon, use Dazzling Gleam."

Sylveon spread out her ribbons, and a bright light consumed the room. Team Rocket shielded their eyes.

"Zoroark, use Protect."

Zoroark grinned, placed her right foot behind her, and lunged. She brought her hands together and formed a sledgehammer made of Protect. She stopped directly in front of Team Rocket, making them scream, reeled her arms back, and swung. The Protect slammed into Team Rocket, launched them through the wall, and blasted them off into the sky.

Zoroark hoisted the sledgehammer onto her shoulder, jumped back to my side, and gave me a high five.

Count Pumpka and his butler shuffled towards us. "W-We're very sorry. This was all a misunderstanding, but it certainly doesn't excuse the way we treated you," Count Pumpka said. "Please let me make it up to you. There is still plenty of food left from tonight's feast. Would you be so kind as to join me?"

On cue, Ash's stomach growled. "Well," he said, scratching the back of his head, "maybe for just a bite."

"You and your stomach," Bonnie sighed.


	49. Adventures in Running Errands

I mumbled under my breath as I wrung my hair out. "This is starting to get on my nerves." I glanced through the glass doors of the Pokémon and at the pouring rain.

Sylveon shook herself out, water droplets flying off her fur and ribbons. The water splattered against the glass and my legs. Zoroark sat on my shoulder with a grumpy scowl. She tried to use my hair as an umbrella, but to no avail; she was soaked like the rest of us.

Nurse Joy brought out a small cart, and Pikachu, Zoroark, and Sylveon hopped on. Nurse Joy placed the other Poké Balls on and carted them down the hall for a checkup. We rested on the couches and watched the rain. The Pokémon Center was busier than usual, mostly because of the citizens who also came in to get out of the rain.

Bonnie sighed and stared out the window, her chin resting in her hands with her elbows propped on the back of the couch. "I don't like being cooped in here like this," she said. "I wonder how long before this rain stops."

Sitting across from us with his back facing us, Clemont chuckled. I saw the light reflecting off his glasses, and I sweatdropped as he leaped to his feet.

"Looks like it's my turn to step in!" he said. He presented a large device with two telescopes sticking out the front and an antenna. "I call this my Weather Predictor! With this, I calculate the movement of rain clouds, wind, humidity, and temperature. I can use this data to predict the weather!"

"Sounds boring," Bonnie said.

"Clemont, you know there's already a way to do that sort of thing. There are people whose _jobs_ are to analyze and predict the weather," I said.

"Never with the perfect accuracy that my invention will provide! Observe and be amazed!"

I sighed and stood from the couch. We walked over to the balcony, and Clemont threw the doors open. His Weather Predictor machine sat next to him.

"All I have to do is angle the telescopes towards the sky, and my device will do the rest," Clemont said. The telescopes pointed towards the sky. The antennae moved side to side. A small umbrella popped out from the side of the device, with small, plastic raindrops twirling underneath it. "Perfect! Now, in approximately one day, my device will provide us with results from its analysis!"

"Did you say one day?" Bonnie said. "The rain will have stopped by then!"

"Fine, then. I'll just speed up the data process..."

Clemont pressed buttons on the remote, but it only started to make the machine smoke. I glanced over my shoulder and watched Nurse Joy cart our Pokémon out. I walked over.

"You and your friends' Pokémon are all doing great!" Nurse Joy said.

"Thanks, Nurse Joy," I said. Zoroark hopped into my arms.

" _Did anything fun happen while we were gone?_ " Zoroark said.

"Well..." Behind me, something exploded. I turned and looked over at my friends, who were covered in smoke and soot. Clemont's invention lay in bits and pieces. I chuckled nervously. I turned back to Nurse Joy. "I'll take their Pokémon back to them."

"Thanks! Just put the container back on the counter when you're done," Nurse Joy said.

Pikachu and Sylveon hopped off the cart. Zoroark climbed back onto my shoulder, and I lifted the Poké Ball container into my arms. Nurse Joy headed back down the hallway. I walked back to my friends as they cleaned off the smoke from their clothes and hair. Pikachu crawled up Ash's back and sat on his shoulder. Once everyone had gathered their Poké Balls, I headed back to the counter.

The lights in the Pokémon Center went out, shrouding the building in darkness. Startled attendees murmured. Nurse Joy rushed to the front desk.

"Oh, dear," she said.

"What's wrong?" I said, placing the container on the counter.

"It looks like we're experiencing a power outage. None of the equipment is working."

"There could be something wrong with the main system," Clemont said as my friends gathered around me. "Could you show me where it is?"

"Of course, it's this way," Nurse Joy said. "Wigglytuff, please stay out here and keep the guests calm."

Wigglytuff nodded nervously. Nurse Joy opened the door for us. We walked down the hallway and to another door.

"The main system is in here." Nurse Joy opened the door, and we walked inside.

Water dripped from the ceiling steadily, and a puddle had formed on the floor. The puddle sat underneath some of the machinery, causing it to crackle with electricity.

"Looks like this leak is causing the machinery to short-circuit. That's what's causing the power outage," Clemont said.

"What are we going to do? There are Pokémon currently in treatment, and an electrician won't be here until tomorrow because of this weather," Nurse Joy said.

"Do you think you can fix this, Clemont?" Ash said.

"Let me see..." Clemont opened the control panel and peeked inside. He turned to Nurse Joy and smiled. "Looks like I can tinker with this. Leave it to me!"

Clemont pulled two wrenches from his pockets and started to work on the machinery.

"Oh, thank you!" Nurse Joy said.

"It's no problem!" Ash said. He looked up at the ceiling. "While Clemont works on the machinery, I can go up to the roof and check out the leak."

"Be careful, Ash. It'll be slippery with all this rain," Serena said.

"What about the Pokémon in need of treatment?" Nurse Joy said.

Clemont perked up. "I know! We can use our Electric-type Pokémon to power some of the equipment."

"I still don't think that will be enough for the treatment equipment..."

"I can help you, Nurse Joy," I said.

"Wonderful! Thank you all so much! Please, come with me!"

Clemont called out Luxray, and he, Pikachu, and Dedenne were hooked up to the machine. They used their electricity on the machine, and the lights turned on, albeit dim. I followed Nurse Joy to the lobby. Wigglytuff pushed a cart with many baskets filled with Berries to her.

"May I have your attention?" Nurse Joy called. "This power outage won't stop us from helping you! We have plenty of Berries here for you to give to your Pokémon."

"We can take care of this," Serena said.

"Really?"

"Yeah! You go and take care of the other Pokémon," Bonnie said.

"Thank you." Nurse Joy turned to me. "They're in the back."

I nodded and followed her and Wigglytuff to the treatment room. The treatment pods were all occupied with wounded or sick Pokémon. I walked over and peered into a pod sheltering a Cubchoo.

"That poor Pokémon stumbled upon a group of Foongus. It's terribly poisoned," Nurse Joy said.

"I think I have the solution for that," I said.

I opened the glass dome, closed my eyes, and placed my hand over my chest as my skin glowed. I pulled my hand away, and the light followed and shaped into a misty ball of light in the palm of my hand. The light morphed into a small, golden bell. I pinched the handle between my fingers and shook it. A soothing chime sounded, and Cubchoo glistened. Cubchoo opened its eyes, sat up straight, and looked around.

"How are you feeling?" I said.

Cubchoo smiled and flexed its tiny arms. _"I feel great! Thanks!"_

I smiled.

"I'll go check on your friend in the control room," Nurse Joy said. "Think you can handle things by yourself for a few minutes?"

"No problem," I saluted.

* * *

~TPPOV~

Nurse Joy opened the door to the control room and peeked her head inside. "Is everything all right in here? Do you need anything?"

"Yes, actually," Clemont said. He reached into his pocket and held up a small, charred piece of metal. "Do you happen to have a spare for this?"

Nurse Joy examined the part. "I'm afraid we don't, but there's a shop on the outskirts of town. You can buy the part there."

"Great-"

The machinery began to crackle and sputter. Clemont cried out as sparks flew into the air, and he shielded his face.

"Great. I think rainwater leaked in again," Clemont said. "Sorry, but I have to stay here and work on the machinery. Is there anyone else that could go get the part?"

"Not that I can think of. Everyone is working on something," Nurse Joy said.

A stream of light burst from Clemont's pocket, and Chespin emerged with a salute. He spoke, but Clemont couldn't understand. Chespin pointed at the part.

"Oh, do you want to go get the part for me?" Clemont said. Chespin nodded. "Thanks, Chespin. I don't want you to go alone, though. Bunnelby, will you go with Chespin?"

Bunnelby nodded. Chespin cheered and ran to the door.

"W-Wait, Chespin!" Clemont called, but Chespin was already gone. Clemont sighed and turned to Bunnelby. "I want you to go see Rylee before you leave. Maybe she'll be able to go with you." Clemont pulled out a small piece of paper and a pencil and scribbled on it. "Here is the part I need. Nurse Joy can provide you with the money."

Bunnelby nodded and scurried past Nurse Joy. Nurse Joy led the two Pokémon to the treatment room. Rylee glanced over her shoulder, a Heal Pulse cupped in her hands.

"Oh, hi, guys," Rylee said. The Heal Pulse dissipated, and she dusted off her hands and crouched. "What do you need?"

 _"Clemont needs us to get a part for him,"_ Bunnelby said. He held the piece of paper out, and Rylee took it and examined it. _"He was wondering if you could come with us. You know... to keep_ some _one from getting into trouble."_

 _"Hey!"_ Chespin cried.

Rylee chuckled and handed the paper back to Bunnelby. "Sorry, but I'm busy taking care of the Pokémon," she said. She stood up and tapped her finger against her chin. Her eyes lit up. "I know! Sylveon!"

Sylveon stood on the bed of a containment pod and watched Zoroark, in human form, feed a small bowl of medicine to an exhausted Helioptile. She hopped down and trotted over to Rylee's side.

 _"Yes?"_ she said.

"Will you go with Bunnelby and Chespin? They have to go to a shop and pick up a part for Clemont," Rylee said.

Sylveon nodded. _"Sure, I'll go."_

"Thanks." Rylee petted Sylveon's head.

"Here's the money for the part," Nurse Joy said, holding a small coin purse. Bunnelby handed her the piece of paper, and she tucked it inside. She crouched down and tied the purse around Sylveon's neck.

"All right, you three. Make sure you get along and focus. We can't afford to waste any time; hurry there, and hurry back," Rylee said.

The three Pokémon saluted. _"Yes, ma'am!"_ they cried, and they hurried to the lobby. Nurse Joy followed behind. She led them outside.

"See that building over there?" Nurse Joy said, pointing to a small shop in the distance. "That's where you can get the part. Luckily, the path there is one way. No need won't need to worry about getting lost. I've got to head back to work, so good luck!"

Bunnelby, Chespin, and Sylveon nodded and started down the path. Nurse Joy waved and headed into the Pokémon Center.

* * *

~SYLVEON~

 _"Look, a puddle!"_ Chespin hurried ahead and jumped into a puddle. The big splash he made hit me and Bunnelby.

 _"Be careful, Chespin,"_ I said, shielding the coin purse. _"We don't have time to play. Clemont needs us to get that part for him as soon as possible."_

 _"Yeah, yeah, I know that... Look, another puddle!"_

Bunnelby and I glanced at each other and sighed. Bunnelby hurried over and grabbed Chespin before he could jump in the puddle.

 _"Come on!"_ Bunnelby said, dragging him back.

Something grumbled, and Chespin blushed and gripped his stomach. His eyes landed on a crêpe stand, and he drooled.

 _"Chespin..."_ Bunnelby said.

 _"But I'm_ hungry _!"_ Chespin whined. His eyes lit up. _"I know!"_ Chespin lunged at me and took the coin purse from me.

 _"H-Hey!"_ I cried.

 _"I'm sure there's plenty for a snack!"_

 _"That's not food money! Give it back!"_ Bunnelby said. He tried to snag the coin purse, but Chespin held it up and away.

 _"Stop fighting!"_ I said.

Something swooped down, and the coin purse was gone from Chespin's hand. A Fearow screeched and flew away, the coin purse in its talons. We screamed.

 _"Hey! Come back here!"_ Chespin cried, and he ran after the Fearow. There was a dirt path leading another way.

 _"Chespin!"_ Bunnelby said, and he ran after him. _"That's the wrong way!"_

I sighed. _"Why didn't Rylee ask Zoroark to go instead of me?"_ I looked up and saw they were already almost out of my sight. _"W-Wait for me!"_

I sprinted after them. Chespin and Bunnelby shouted at the Fearow as it flew above them. Chespin used Vine Whip to try and grab the coin purse, but it was out of his reach.

 _"What... are we going... to do?"_ Bunnelby panted.

Chespin glanced at Bunnelby, a glint in his eye. _"You mean what are_ you _going to do!"_

 _"Wha-"_

Chespin grabbed Bunnelby with Vine Whip. _"Go get 'em!"_

 _"Wait a minute, what are you-?!"_ Chespin hurled Bunnelby into the air. _"WAAAA!"_

Bunnelby reached out and grabbed the coin purse. The Fearow cawed in annoyance and tried to shake Bunnelby off. Bunnelby yanked the coin purse from Fearow and tossed it to Chespin. Chespin jumped up and caught it.

" _Got it!"_ Chespin cried, waving the coin purse in the air.

 _"Put it down, you moron!"_ Bunnelby said. Fearow shoved Bunnelby off, and Bunnelby began to fall. I gasped and sprinted forward. I reached my ribbons out and caught Bunnelby.

The Fearow turned around, and dove towards us.

 _"Cover your eyes,"_ I said, and Bunnelby obeyed. I attacked the Fearow with Dazzling Gleam. The Fearow screeched and swerved out of the way.

Bunnelby jumped out of my ribbons and used Dig on the ground, creating a hole in seconds.

 _"In here! Quick!"_ he said. Chespin and I jumped inside. Fearow's beak poked through the hole, and I yelped and pulled my tail out of the way. _"Follow me."_

Bunnelby dug through the ground, and we followed him. A few moments later, we surfaced and stepped out of the hole. We glanced back and down the road. The Fearow grew bored and flew away.

 _"Thank goodness that's over,"_ Chespin said.

 _"Uh, guys...?"_ I said. I pointed across the plain and to the shop in the distance. _"The path is way back there."_

Bunnelby sighed. _"I guess we'd better start making our way back."_

 _"Maybe on the way back, we can stop by the crêpe stand and-"_ Chespin said.

 _"_ No _!"_ Bunnelby snagged the coin purse from Chespin and handed it back to me.

 _"Okay, okay, fine. Yeesh."_

* * *

~TPPOV~

Rylee peeked her head inside the control room. "Everything all right in here?"

Clemont set his tools in his lap and stretched his arms over his head. "Yup. Everything's working smoothly over here. What about you? How are the other Pokémon?"

"Nurse Joy and I are done with treating them, now they're all resting," Rylee said. "It's been a while since I've used my healing moves, so this was good practice."

"That's good. By the way, have you heard anything about Sylveon and the others?"

"No, I haven't." Rylee folded her arms. "Now that I think about it, they've been gone for a while. Maybe I should have asked Zoroark to go with them..."

"Ash could send Fletchinder and Noibat to go check on them."

"Good idea. I'll go find him. If you need anything, don't be afraid to ask."

Clemont smiled. "Of course."

* * *

~SYLVEON~

 _"All right! Follow me, and we'll be on the right path in no time!"_ Chespin said.

 _"Well, we went down the wrong way the first time we let that happen,"_ Bunnelby said.

 _"If he's in the front, it'll be easier to keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't get distracted,"_ I said.

At a fork in the road, Chespin pointed to the right path. _"This way!"_

The path inclined as we walked, and it remained that way for quite a while. Chespin started to tucker out, and Bunnelby had to push him forward with his ears.

 _"Are... we... there... yet?"_ Chespin groaned.

 _"Um... almost..."_ I said.

 _"Look! I can see the shop from here!"_ Bunnelby said. We looked ahead and saw it at the end of the path.

Chespin perked up, his energy back. _"All right! Let's go!"_

The path was blocked, and we looked up at the cause. Team Rocket looked down at us.

 _"Oh, great._ You _people,"_ Bunnelby said. _"We're busy here."_

"Not so fast," Jessie said. "We have plans for you that end in us getting your friend, Pikachu. Now, be good and let yourselves get captured."

 _"Like we're gonna let that happen! You're all crazy!"_ Chespin said.

"If you're not going to willingly cooperate, then we'll make you!" James said.

Jessie and James called out Gourgeist and Inkay.

"Just don't hurt one strand of Sylveon's beautiful fur!" Meowth said. Jessie and James stared at Meowth in bewilderment. Meowth blushed bright pink and waved at me. Chespin and Bunnelby glanced at me. I sweatdropped.

 _"All right, let's do this!"_ Chespin said. He tried to charge forward, but Bunnelby grabbed him.

 _"If we want to beat them, we have to work together,"_ I said.

 _"That means you have to listen to us. Got it?"_ Bunnelby said.

Chespin saluted. _"Yes, sirs! Er, I mean, ma'am and sir!"_

"So, you've made up your mind?" Jessie said. "Since you're not going to behave, we'll have to punish you accordingly. Gourgeist, use Seed Bomb!"

Gourgeist opened its mouth and unleashed multiple energy seeds.

 _"Bunnelby!"_ I called, collecting my ribbons over my head. Bunnelby jumped onto them, and I pushed him up into the air. I grabbed Chespin and jumped back as the seeds hit the ground. Bunnelby, rising above the thick haze of dust, used Mud Shot. The Mud Shot hit Gourgeist and knocked it to the ground. Gourgeist sat up and shook the mud off.

"How dare you dirty my beautiful partner!" Jessie growled. "Gourgeist, use Shadow Ball!"

Gourgeist summoned and launched a Shadow Ball. I used Fairy Wind and created a tornado. The Shadow Ball got sucked into the tornado. Chespin leaped into the air and I dispelled the Fairy Wind. Chespin reeled back his foot and drove it into the Shadow Ball.

"Dodge that!"

Gourgeist flew out of the way. The Shadow Ball flew past Gourgeist and rammed into Meowth.

"Hey! Quit fooling around!" Meowth cried.

"Inkay, use Psybeam!"

Inkay flew beside Gourgeist and attacked with Psybeam. Before I could cast Protect, a stream of fire swooped in front of us and met with the Psybeam. The smoke cleared, and Fletchinder floated in front of us.

"Hey!" We looked down the path and saw Ash and Noibat heading our way. Ash stepped in front of us. "Rylee asked me to come check on you guys, since it's been a while. I guess this is why."

"Great, now the brat is here," James said. "Looks like we'll have to change our plans. The twerp's gotta go!"

"Sounds good to me!" Jessie said.

Ash scowled. "Bring it on. I can handle you weirdos." He glanced over his shoulder and at us. "Stand back. I'll take care of them."

 _"I don't want to drag Ash into this. We've got to do something,"_ Bunnelby said. His eyes lit up, and he smiled. _"Follow my lead."_

Bunnelby dug a hole with his ears and disappeared underground.

"All right, Inkay, use-!"

Bunnelby burst from a hole in front of Ash.

 _"Now!"_ Bunnelby called.

Chespin and I ran around Ash and darted forward. I summoned two platforms of Protect, and Bunnelby and Chespin each landed on one. I opened my ribbons and unleashed Dazzling Gleam, blinding Team Rocket. Bunnelby summoned Mud Shot and threw them at Team Rocket, coating each member's face with mud. I moved Chespin towards Team Rocket, and he used Pin Missile. It hit Team Rocket, and they launched into the air.

"So much for Plan B!" Jessie cried.

"This is why we need C, D, and E!" James said.

Meowth sighed. "Did you see how brilliant Sylveon's fighting was? Truly inspiring!"

Team Rocket blasted off into the sky. I sighed and facepalmed.

 _"We did it!"_ Chespin cried. He and Bunnelby hopped off the Protect and to my side. We cheered and exchanged high fives.

"You guys..." Ash sighed. "Looks like I came here for nothing."

 _"Actually..."_ I turned to Bunnelby. _"It would be nice to have him along. It'll prevent any more... distractions."_

 _"Hey!"_ Chespin said.

"Look," Ash said, "the shop is just up ahead."

We looked down the path and saw the shop, closer than ever before.

 _"Come on! Let's go get that part!"_ Chespin said.

* * *

 _"Knock, knock!"_ Chespin pushed open the cracked door, and we walked inside the control room.

Clemont sat up. "You're back! Did you get the part?"

I stepped forward, removed the coin purse from around my neck, and held it out to Clemont. Clemont took the purse, opened it, and pulled out the spare part.

"This is perfect! Thanks, guys!" Clemont said. He looked at me. "I hope Chespin behaved."

 _"Well..."_ Bunnelby and I glanced at each other. Clemont laughed.

Rylee and the others entered the room.

" _Rylee!_ " I cried and ran over to her. Rylee crouched down and pet my head.

"Good job getting the part," she said. She winked. "Maybe I should send you on errands more often."

I sweatdropped. " _W-What about Zoroark? I'm sure she would do the job as well as me._ "

" _No way. You're a better babysitter than me. I agree with Rylee,_ " Zoroark said. " _In fact, I'm getting kind of hungry. I could go for a crêpe._ "

"Me, too," Rylee said.

" _H-Hey, no fair! Rylee!_ " I cried.

Rylee and Zoroark giggled. I sighed.


	50. Picture Perfect

Bonnie pointed to the mountain before us. "Why is there smoke coming out of the mountain?"

"That's Mt. Molteau. Not only is it a mountain, but it's also a volcano," Clemont said.

"It's not going to blow up on us, is it?!"

Clemont chuckled and patted Bonnie's head. "I don't think so. Mt. Molteau hasn't erupted in years."

In front of us, Ash yelped. We turned as Ash hit the ground. A column of fire flew over his head and towards us. We scrambled out of the fire's way, and it hit the path behind us.

"The volcano's erupting!" Bonnie screamed.

"That wasn't the volcano." Ash sat up and rolled his shoulder. "It was that."

Ash pointed to a Charmeleon blocking our path. Smoke curled from its nostrils, fresh from a Flamethrower attack.

"My map doesn't say that Charmeleon live around here," Serena said. "So why is this one here?"

"Charmeleon!" a voice called from the trees. Bushes rustled, and Trevor poked his head out from the greenery. "There you are. Why did you run off like that?"

Charmeleon growled and spewed Flamethrower at Trevor. Trevor yelped as the Flamethrower hit him, and he fell to the ground covered in smoke and soot.

"Hey, Trevor," Ash said.

Trevor sat up and shook out his blackened hair. "Oh, hey, guys. What are you all doing here?"

"We're on our way to Anistar City so Ash can get his eighth Gym badge," I said. "What about you?"

"I _was_ on my way to Mt. Molteau, but then Charmeleon ran away." Trevor glanced at Charmeleon, who growled at him. Trevor sighed. "It's been acting like this all day, and I can't seem to calm it down. What's gotten into you, Charmeleon?"

Charmeleon opened its mouth again, and we ducked as it spewed another Flamethrower over our heads.

"It does seem anxious," Ash said. "Maybe it wants to have a battle."

At the mention, Charmeleon's eyes lit up, and it smiled.

"I guess it's settled, then," Trevor said. "Would you mind having a battle against us, Ash?"

"Of course!" Ash pulled out a Poké Ball and called out Fletchinder. The rest of us stepped back to allow more space to battle.

The battle between Ash and Trevor lasted only a few minutes, with Ash and Fletchinder being victorious. Charmeleon felt a lot better having battled, and we took a break on a couple of nearby logs.

"It seems like it's been forever since I've seen you all," Trevor said.

"It has been a while since we all went to the Pokémon Summer Camp," Serena said. "How have you been since then?"

"Great! Charmeleon and I have worked hard since then. We were able to defeat Viola and receive the Bug Badge." Trevor reached into his pocket and pulled out a badge case. He opened it and showed us his shiny Gym badge. "That's not all. Along the way, I've taken a lot of great pictures of Pokémon."

Trevor took off the camera hanging around his neck and sat in front of us. He opened the digital gallery and flipped through his pictures.

"These are really good," Bonnie said.

"Thanks," Trevor said.

"Is that why you're at Mt. Molteau? So you can take more pictures?" I said.

"Not just any picture... I'm here to take a picture of the Legendary Pokémon, Moltres!"

" _Legendary_ Pokémon?!" Bonnie's eyes twinkled. "Is there really one here?"

"Based on the research I've done, I'm about 95% confident that Moltres can be found on Mt. Molteau."

"Have you ever met a Legendary Pokémon before?" Ash said.

Trevor nodded. "In fact, Moltres is the last of the original trio that I need a photo from."

"You've met Articuno and Zapdos before?" I said.

"I sure did. What about you, Rylee? I'm sure you've seen a ton of Legendary Pokémon before."

Ash and I glanced at each other. "Only a few," Ash said. "Rylee's dad actually owns an Articuno."

"Really?!" Trevor was in my face. He hovered his camera over his face and snapped a close-up of me. "That's so cool! Of course, I wouldn't expect anything less from you or your family. I bet you've all got amazing powers! Do you think I could meet it?"

"Um... Not unless you travel all the way to Unova, and even then, Articuno's not with my dad at the moment..."

"So," Clemont declared, "do you need any help with your Moltres picture?"

Trevor backed away, relieving the air around me. "Would you? With more people, we can find Moltres faster."

"I want to see Moltres!" Bonnie jumped to her feet.

"Me, too!" Serena said.

"Looks like we're all in," Ash said.

"Thanks, everyone. The path up the mountain is this way," Trevor said, and he started down the path.

I stood and dusted my shorts off.

"Thanks for getting him back on track," I said to Clemont. I walked behind him and leaned close to his ear. "I bet your little green friend told you to, though."

Clemont leaped to his feet and whirled around. "I already told you, I'm not jealous!"

I folded my arms and eyed him. "You're blushing."

Clemont's red cheeks deepened. "N-No, I'm not!" Clemont turned his back to me and walked away. "We're already getting left behind."

I giggled and jogged to catch up.

* * *

"So, Trevor," Ash said as we climbed up Mt. Molteau's path, "what made you first believe that Moltres lives here?"

Trevor reached into his pocket and handed a photo to Ash. We looked over his shoulder and at the picture. "A friend of mine took this picture while he was here. He's met the original trio. Of course, he's also traveled to different regions, so he's met a lot more Pokémon. He printed out the photos and sent them to me. The picture of Moltres is the only one from the Kalos region, and it was here at Mt. Molteau."

" _Is_ that Moltres?" Bonnie said. "All I see is smoke."

"If you look closely you can see a pair of wings."

"Ah, I see it!"

"How do you know for sure that this is Moltres?" Serena said.

"There's no other Pokémon that has wings shaped like that. I'm 100% confident that the Pokémon in that picture is Moltres," Trevor said. "If we find the same place this picture was taken at, then we might be able to find Moltres there."

"How are we going to find this one spot?" Bonnie said. "This is weird for me to say, but... do you have an invention for this, Clemont? ...Clemont?"

We turned to Clemont, who stared forward intensely.

"Clemont!"

Clemont flinched and faced us. "Huh? Sorry, I was lost in thought. What were we talking about?"

"Oh, uh... Never mind!" Bonnie hurried ahead. "I guess we'll just have to keep an eye out for anything that looks familiar."

"Uh, yeah, I guess..." Ash said. He and Serena sweatdropped.

"This will be fun! We might even find some Pokémon around here!" Trevor said, clutching his camera. "Come on!"

We continued our hike up the mountain. Along the way, we saw Crustle and Butterfree. We paused for a moment so Trevor could take pictures of them.

"What's on your mind?" I said to Clemont as we trailed behind the rest of the group.

Clemont waved his hand dismissively. "Nothing, really. Something Trevor said that made me curious." He glanced at me. "I'm a little nervous to ask if it's going to solicit the same response, but... what _did_ happen to your Articuno? If it's not with you or your dad, where is it?"

I sighed. "Fine, I'll tell you. This isn't a good place to run away, otherwise," I said. "I slipped its Poké Ball into Cilan's backpack when we were saying goodbye."

Clemont's eyes widened. "Did he... Does he know?"

I shrugged and held my hands behind my back. "I have no idea. I don't even know what I had in mind when I did that."

Clemont looked forward, once again lost in thought. We reached the top of the mountain and gazed at the stirring lava below.

"Don't get too close," Serena said, holding Bonnie's shoulders.

A Crustle crawled out from behind a large boulder. Trevor gasped, ran over, and took multiple pictures of it.

"Look at this Crustle! You rarely get to see one who has such a complex stratum section in its rock!" Trevor cried.

"Be careful, Trevor," I said.

Trevor hovered incredibly close to the Crustle as he snapped another picture. The Crustle narrowed its eyes and scowled. It brought its pincers together, and a boulder formed.

"Trevor, look out!" Ash cried.

Trevor stumbled back as Crustle raised the boulder over its head. Trevor leaped out of the way and into the wall. The boulder soared past him and into the volcano. It cannonballed, splashing lava into the air and creating ripples that caressed the walls. The Crustle mumbled under its breath and scurried away.

"Are you all right?" Serena said.

"Yeah..." Trevor looked at his camera, and the shimmer returned in his eyes. "Look, I managed to get some awesome action shots!"

We chuckled as he showed us the photos. The laughter quickly died when we realized the volcano never stopped rumbling from the boulder. Pockets burst, and steam rose into the air. A low, distorted cry erupted from within.

"What... was that?" Bonnie wrapped her arms around Serena.

A wall of fire burst from the volcano. Pieces of flaming rocks and giant embers rained down on us.

"Sylveon, Zoroark!" The three of us cast Protect, and it shielded us from the burning rain. My skin grew hot.

I looked through the Protect and at the wall. A face surfaced through the fire. My eyes trembled as the fire dispersed, and Moltres hovered before us. It tossed back its head and shrieked. With each flap of its wings, tiny embers scattered in the air and decorated the sky.

"Moltres..." I whispered. "You've been in there this whole time?"

"I read about this. Pokédex entries say that Moltres hides in magma in order to restore its energy," Trevor said. He stepped closer to the edge.

"Trevor, be careful."

Trevor smiled at Moltres. "I can't believe I finally get to meet you." He raised his camera up and took a picture.

Moltres tilted its head back and fired Flamethrower. We gasped and leaped out of the way. My eyes widened at the fire, so intense that I could see streaks of blue within the red. The Flamethrower smashed into the side of the mountain and created a deep crater.

"What's going on?!" Serena said.

"Moltres thinks we're its enemies," Clemont said.

"Stop it, Moltres!" Bonnie cried.

Moltres unleashed another Flamethrower. We ducked behind some rocks. The tip of Zoroark's tail caught on fire, and Sylveon furiously batted it out with her ribbons.

"I don't think talking is going to work right now," Ash said. He fished a Poké Ball from his pocket and tossed it in the air. Fletchinder came out.

"You're fighting fire with fire?" I said.

"Anything water-related might evaporate before it even touches Moltres. It's worth a shot," Ash said. He smiled at me. "Now, are you going to help me or not?"

I smiled, and Fletchinder and I leaped from behind the boulder.

"I want you to focus on protecting Fletchinder," Ash said.

"Sure thing," I said.

" _Awesome_!" Trevor squealed. I glanced over my shoulder and saw him furiously taking pictures. "I can't believe I get to witness Rylee in action. This is the best day ever!"

Clemont rolled his eyes. I chuckled and faced forward.

Moltres attacked with Flamethrower.

"Dodge!" Fletchinder flew out of the way of the Flamethrower. "Use Razor Wind!"

Fletchinder sliced its wings, and gusts of sharp wind flew towards Moltres. Moltres swiped its wing and blocked the Razor Wind. Moltres spewed another Flamethrower. Planting my feet against the ground, I thrust my hands out. Protect formed in front of Fletchinder, and the Flamethrower crashed into it. Sweat trickled down my neck. With a grunt, I tensed my fingers even more. The back of my eyes grew warm as the Protect thickened.

"Use Flame Charge!"

As the Flamethrower continued, Fletchinder surrounded itself with fire. I move the Protect with it as it lunged at Moltres. At the last second, I dispelled the Protect, and Fletchinder rammed into Moltres's stomach. Moltres shrieked and swiped its wing. It batted Fletchinder away and attacked with Flamethrower once more. I thrust an arm forward, and another shield of Protect appeared at an angle. The Flamethrower hit the Protect and bounced off. I wiped the sweat gathering at my forehead. My skin was hot to the touch.

"Rylee!" I quickly looked behind me and at my friends, who stared at something above. I followed their line of sight to the ricocheting Flamethrower. It had crashed into the side of the mountain, breaking off chunks of rock that now started to fall. My eyes widened.

"Move, Fletchinder!" I called. Fletchinder obeyed, and I sprinted to my friends. The Protect hovering in the air rushed to my side and transformed into a sword. I skidded underneath the target spot for the falling rocks, crouched, and leaped into the air. Yellow-orange energy covered my body, and my eyes flared purple. When the rocks were right above me, with a cry, I slashed my sword. The rocks shattered, and I flew through the cloud of dust. I fell back down, landing on one knee.

Trevor screamed, and I readied myself. I looked to him, only to see his eyes glistening brightly.

"Using a combination of Giga Impact and Protect to smash those rocks!" he cried. "I can't believe I got that on camera!"

I dispelled the Protect and used my hands to push back onto my feet.

"Easy," Clemont said, and he and Serena hurried to my side. "You're exhausted."

"It's... really hot," I panted. Serena blotted my sweat-drenched face with a handkerchief.

"Fletchinder!" Ash cried. I looked and watched Fletchinder slam into the opposite side of the mountain, thanks to Moltres's Flamethrower. Moltres faced us and attacked with another Flamethrower. The heat of the fire quickly approached.

A glowing blue silhouette darted in front of the fire and grew. The light subsided, and Fletchinder evolved into Talonflame. Embers fell when it flapped its wings.

"Fletchinder..." Ash said. Talonflame looked over its shoulder and at Ash. Ash smiled. "I mean... Talonflame! Let's go!"

Moltres lunged at Talonflame. Talonflame flew higher up into the air. Blue fire wrapped around its body, and it slammed into Moltres.

"Talonflame learned Brave Bird?!" Clemont adjusted his glasses over his wide eyes.

Ash's smile grew. "Awesome! Talonflame, use Brave Bird again!"

Talonflame's body was consumed in blue fire again, and it zoomed towards Moltres. Moltres attacked with Flamethrower to try and keep it away, but Talonflame dodged it and slammed into it. Talonflame circled back around, right as Moltres spewed a giant Fire Blast. It hit Talonflame, creating a thick cloud of smoke. Talonflame fell out of the smoke, its feathers charred.

"Talonflame!" Ash cried. He sprinted forward and leaped at the edge of the volcano. He caught Talonflame, and the two plunged into the volcano.

" _Ash_!" the others cried.

I looked up to the sky and at Moltres, who watched in surprise. "Moltres, _do_ something!" I cried.

Moltres snapped out of its reverie and dove into the volcano. Ash and Talonflame fell on its back, and it carried them back to the edge.

"Ash, I can't believe you did that!" Serena said. "You could have died!"

Ash chuckled and scratched the back of his head. "Sorry to worry you all."

My eyes never left Moltres as it hovered in the air above us. I smiled. "Thank you."

Moltres bowed its head and flew away. A trail of embers sparkled in the sunlight.

"Thank you, Rylee, for your help," Ash said.

I turned to him and Talonflame, and I patted Talonflame's head. "I'm glad I could help. And I'm glad you evolved."

" _Thanks,_ " Talonflame said. It glanced at Ash. " _Just don't do something this stupid again._ "

"H-Hey!" Ash said. We all laughed.

"Can we go somewhere else, now?" I wiped my sweaty forehead. "I need to cool off."

* * *

~TPPOV~

"I'm so glad the photo turned out well!" Trevor said as he gazed at his photo of Moltres. "Thank you all for coming with me. It's more special knowing you were all there to witness it with me."

"I'm happy I got to see a Legendary Pokémon!" Bonnie said.

"Only two more to go until we've seen the original trio," Serena chuckled.

Clemont straightened, as if he remembered something. He backed away from his friends as they continued to share in their excitement and approached Trevor.

"Hey, Trevor," Clemont said, "you mentioned before that a friend of yours had taken photos of the original Legendary trio."

"I did. Would you like to see the pictures?" Trevor said.

"Yes, please."

Trevor slid his backpack off his shoulders, opened it, and pulled out a photo album.

"The photos my friend took for me are fairly recent, within at least half a year." Trevor flipped to the last filled page and handed the album to Clemont. "The one of Articuno is the most recent. He spotted it about a week ago."

Clemont stared at the photo of Articuno. The Legendary Freeze Pokémon was mid-flight, its wings stretched out to the sides as it soared through the sky. It had broken through a cloud.

Clemont noticed something on Articuno's back. Its wings, as well as the cloud, obstructed the object. Clemont noticed a leg draped over Articuno's side. Clemont squinted as he brought the photo closer to his face. Through the clouds, he saw green hair and a familiar face.

Clemont's eyes widened, and his mouth fell open.

"Clemont?" Clemont yelped. The photo album fumbled in his hands, making Trevor cry out. He caught it and slammed it shut.

"Be careful..." Trevor breathed.

"S-Sorry." Clemont handed the album back to Trevor. Clemont looked over his shoulder and at his friends. "What is it?"

"We're heading out," Ash said.

"Oh, right. I'm coming." Clemont turned to Trevor. "Thank you, Trevor. I found what I needed."

"Huh...?" Trevor tilted his head to the side as he held his photo album in his arms. Clemont smiled and jogged to his friends.

"What's with the smile?" Bonnie said.

Clemont chuckled. "Nothing."

Rylee's gaze caught his eye. He looked at her and flashed a bright smile. Surprising her at first, Rylee returned it. Clemont looked forward and tightened his grip on his backpack straps.

 _He's coming._


	51. Another of Her Kind

Over my shoulder, I heard Serena yelp. We paused and looked behind to see she had ran into a tree. She rubbed her forehead.

"What's got you so distracted?" Clemont said.

Serena stumbled to our side and held out her Town Map. "They're announcing the next Pokémon Showcase. I got so excited that I forgot to check where I was going."

We gathered around her and stared at the tiny screen.

 _"Ladies and gentlemen!"_ Monsieur Pierre said. _"I am pleased to announce that the next Pokémon Showcase will be held in Anistar City! We are awaiting to see what you will bring!"_

"My Gym battle and your Pokémon Showcase in the same city," Ash said. "That makes this much easier."

Serena snapped his Town Map shut, and her eyes glinted. "Let's make sure we both win our events!" Serena held up her clenched fist. "I have so much more work I need to do."

"Me, too!"

"Why don't we find a spot and take a break? It's almost time for lunch, anyway," Clemont said.

"All right!" Serena and Ash pumped their fists in the air.

We walked further through the forest and came across an opening in the trees. On the other side was a large, spacious meadow.

"It's so pretty!" Bonnie cried. She ran ahead with Dedenne.

Clemont took off his backpack and pulled out cooking utensils. "While we all relax, I can get started on the food."

"This is a great place for some training," Ash said.

"And rehearsing!" Serena said.

We called out all our Pokémon. Sylveon tapped my leg with her ribbon.

" _Can we explore, too?_ " she said.

"Of course," I said. "Let's go!"

Zoroark hopped off my shoulder, and the three of us ran ahead.

"Don't run too far. Lunch will be ready soon," Clemont called.

" _Okay, Mom!_ " Zoroark called over her shoulder. Sylveon and I laughed.

We scurried down the meadow and to the river. Sylveon jumped into the river. Zoroark flinched from the small splash. She crouched and leaped into the water, splashing Sylveon. I set my shoes and socks on the side and walked in. The river water felt cool against my feet and ankles. I scooped up some water and threw it at Sylveon. She shook out her fur and splashed me with her ribbons. In a combined attack, we scooped up a large wave, and it hit Zoroark.

Zoroark shook out her fur and glared at us. Her glare quickly shifted into a mischievous glint, and she leaped into the air. She glowed magenta and reverted to her original form. As she spiraled to the ground, Shadow Claw engulfed her paw.

"Zoroark-!" I cried. Zoroark struck the Shadow Claw deep into the water. The water erupted into a giant tidal wave. Sylveon and I cried out as the wave hit us. I was swept off my feet, and I landed in the river. Once the wave was gone, I pulled my head from the water and sputtered. I peeled my hair off my face and tossed it over my shoulder. Zoroark stood over me. We met each other's gaze and burst into laughter.

" _Where did Sylveon go?_ " Zoroark said.

I stood and looked around. "There she is," I said.

Sylveon had been washed down the river. She stood on a hill nearby, gazing at something below. Zoroark and I trudged out of the river and to Sylveon's side. She was still dripping wet.

"Are you okay, Sylveon...?" I said. I followed her gaze to a large, flat slab of rock at the bottom of the hill.

A young Eevee danced on the rock. She twirled around, her smile radiating. I crouched next to Sylveon, who stared at Eevee with shimmering eyes.

"You've never seen another Eevee in person, have you?" I whispered. Sylveon slowly shook her head. "Why don't you go say hi?"

Sylveon looked between me and Eevee. She covered her cheeks with her ribbons.

" _I... I don't know,_ " Sylveon said. " _I don't want to interrupt her._ "

"Rylee!" We looked over our shoulder and at Serena as she jogged to us.

"Shh!" I hissed. Serena knelt next to me. "Look."

Serena looked forward and saw the dancing Eevee. Her eyes widened.

"What a beautiful dance," she said. "I've never seen an Eevee do that before."

"Me, neither." I glanced at Serena. "Nice flower crown."

Serena touched the flower crown wrapped around her hat. "Thanks. I made it from the flowers Braixen gave me."

"Serena! Rylee!" Ash yelled at the top of his lungs. We winced and turned around as he sprinted towards us.

We frantically tried to shush him, but the dancing Eevee looked in our direction. Her eyes widened, and she turned and scurried away.

" _Wait!_ " Sylveon ran forward a few steps.

Eevee, for just a moment, stopped and looked back before it disappeared further into the meadow. Sylveon's ears drooped.

"Sorry..." Ash said. "Um... Lunch is ready."

Sylveon sighed and returned to us. I patted her head, stood up, and we all headed back to the camping site.

* * *

"You really spotted an Eevee?" Clemont said.

Serena nodded. "It had the loveliest dance! It looked like it was having a lot of fun."

"Man, I wanted to see Eevee dance..." Bonnie sighed.

"I feel bad for Sylveon," I said. I glanced at Sylveon, who stared into the distance and absentmindedly nibbled her food. "I know she really wanted to say hello."

"It's really never seen another Eevee or any of its evolutions before?"

I shook my head. "All my Pokémon except her have met others of their own kind. Back in Unova, there was a boy who also had a Zorua. Even Articuno, a Legendary Pokémon, has done that before. It's even more groundbreaking for Sylveon, since she's a shiny Pokémon. Eevee running away must have been a real blow."

"Now I feel even worse for chasing it away," Ash mumbled.

I chuckled. "Don't beat yourself up. Maybe we'll run into Eevee again."

"You know, watching Eevee was truly inspiring. I wish I could see it again." Serena said. She gasped and leaped from her seat. "That's it! We should go and look for Eevee!"

Sylveon perked up from her food. She leaped onto the table. " _Yeah, yeah! We should! Please, Rylee?_ " Sylveon stared at me with her big, pink eyes.

"You're begging like I would have the gall to say no," I said.

Sylveon squealed and jumped up and down on the table, shaking the plates and utensils.

"Be careful," Clemont said, lifting his plate off the table.

" _Sorry!_ " Sylveon hopped off the table and wrapped her ribbons around my wrist. " _Come on!_ "

"Okay, okay," I said.

We stood from the table, cleaned up lunch, and headed back to the meadow.

"Where in the world could Eevee have gone?" Bonnie said.

"I guess we'll have to search everywhere," Ash said. "If we split up, we can cover ground faster. One of us is bound to run into Eevee."

* * *

~SYLVEON~

The night was quiet, save the steady, gentle breathing of the others and the choir of chirping crickets. Our search wasn't so successful; the only one to see Eevee was Serena, but only for a moment before it ran away again. It got too late to keep looking, so we regrouped, set up camp, and went to bed.

I opened my eyes and looked at Rylee and Zoroark, their faces peaceful with sleep. Quietly, I stood and tiptoed to the tent door. I gripped the zipper with my teeth and slowly unzipped the door, creating a hole big enough for me to slip through. The night air was cooler than inside the tent. Outside of the tent, I could hear the running stream nearby. I looked up at the bright, crescent moon. I walked away from the tent and further into the meadow.

At the peak of a hill, I stopped. Below, at the bottom of the hill, Eevee danced on the large slab of rock. It wore a flower crown- Serena's flower crown. Now that I thought about it, I do remember her not having it when we regrouped. I sat in the grass and watched Eevee dance.

"You couldn't sleep either, huh?" I jumped and looked over my shoulder. Serena crouched beside me. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

Serena looked down the hill, and her eyes widened when she saw Eevee. Her surprise melted into a big smile.

"You know," she said, "I'd also like to befriend Eevee." She looked at me and smiled. "Let's both do our best." I smiled and nodded. Serena held a finger up to her mouth. "I won't tell anyone we stayed up late if you don't."

I laughed. Serena held up her hand, and I gave her a high five with my ribbon. I looked forward and gazed at Eevee.

* * *

~RYLEE~

We awoke the next morning, packed up our camping gear, and traveled deep into the meadow.

"All right!" Bonnie cried. "I'm so excited to go looking for Eevee again."

"About that..." Serena hopped onto the large rock slab, the same one where we first met the dancing Eevee. "I want to try a different approach."

"What do you have in mind?" Clemont said.

"Well, Eevee likes to dance, right? I think if we perform right here where it did, that will attract it better than our other ways. I want to share my feelings, and performing is the best way I can do so."

"That does seem better than trying to force it out," I said.

"All right, then." Serena took off her hat, and she, Braixen, and Pancham bowed. Serena looked at Sylveon and winked. I raised an eyebrow.

"What was that?" I said to Sylveon.

" _N-Nothing._ " Sylveon flashed a smile.

"Braixen, use Flamethrower!"

Braixen pulled her stick from her tail and pointed it at the sky. A trail of flames burst from the tip and curled in the sky.

"Pancham, use Dark Pulse!"

Pancham leaped through Braixen's Flamethrower and used Dark Pulse. Braixen stopped the Flamethrower flow, and the fire and Dark Pulse exploded above the stage, raining the area in sparkles. Pancham landed triumphantly, and Braixen and Serena bowed.

"Bravo!" Bonnie cried as we applauded.

Serena straightened and smiled. Her eyes moved to something else, and she crouched.

"Did you like our performance?"

We followed her gaze to Eevee, who peeked from behind a nearby rock. She wore Serena's flower crown on her head. She yelped and hid behind the rock. After a few moments, she poked her head out again.

" _Mm-hm,_ " Eevee said with a small nod.

Serena's smile warmed. "Thank you. That means a lot from you. The three of us enter Pokémon Showcases. There, we get to perform. It's a lot of fun!"

" _Fun?_ "

Serena nodded. "I saw your dancing earlier. It's absolutely lovely. I want to make sure that others see your beautiful dancing. If you want, I would love to have you as a part of my team!"

Eevee stepped out from behind the rock and gazed at Serena. Serena shifted her eyes to Sylveon. Sylveon shyly trotted over to Eevee.

" _Um... H-Hi..._ " Sylveon said, nervously kicking the ground. " _I'm glad..._ " Sylveon took a deep breath. " _I'm glad I could finally meet you!_ "

Eevee gaped at Sylveon with shimmering eyes. She stepped closer and sniffed Sylveon's nose. Sylveon flinched. Eevee stepped back and grinned.

" _Nice to meet you!_ " she said.

Sylveon perked up, her eyes trembling. A big grin spread across her face, and she leaped into the air. She ran around in circles, jumping and cheering.

"Well, Eevee?" Serena said. "What do you say?"

Eevee looked at Serena again. She took a step forward.

A net fell from the sky and fell on top of Eevee. We gasped as the net retreated to its source- Team Rocket. They stood on a hill and looked down at us.

"Team Rocket!" Ash cried.

"Look at that! I caught an Eevee!" Jessie said. "Thanks for making this easier for me, twerps!"

"Give Eevee back right now!" Serena said.

"No can do! This little one is my key to stardom!"

Jessie called out Gourgeist, and James called out Inkay.

"Inkay, Psybeam!"

Inkay attacked. Ash reached for a Poké Ball. A slab of Protect appeared in front of us. I perked up and looked to Sylveon, who walked in front of us. The Protect dispelled. She lifted her eyes to Team Rocket, shooting them a tense, hateful glare.

"S-Sylveon..." I said.

Sylveon grit her teeth. " _I won't let you take her!_ "

I stared at Sylveon and smiled. I thrust my arm out. "Go, Sylveon!"

In the next beat, Sylveon sprinted towards Team Rocket.

"Gourgeist, Shadow Ball!"

Clemont pulled out a Poké Ball and tossed it in the air. "Bunnelby, help Sylveon get Eevee back by using Mud Shot!"

Bunnelby emerged from the Poké Ball. Balls of mud formed around his ears, and Bunnelby hurled them. One hit the Shadow Ball, heading straight for Sylveon, and destroyed it. Another hit Gourgeist. Bunnelby landed on the ground and ran beside Sylveon.

"Inkay, use Tackle!" Inkay twirled rapidly and lunged at Sylveon.

"Braixen, use Flamethrower!"

Braixen pointed her stick at Inkay, and flames burst from the tip. The flames consumed Inkay, and it fell to the ground, unconscious.

Sylveon broke past Jessie and James. Meowth stepped in front of Eevee, and Sylveon skidded to a stop.

"My precious Sylveon," Meowth said, "I'll gladly hand over Eevee if you, just this once, go out with me!"

Bunnelby dove at Meowth and drove his feet into his side. Meowth tumbled into Jessie and James and knocked them to the ground.

"Sylveon, use Fairy Wind!"

Sylveon let out a cry as a giant pink tornado appeared before her. Team Rocket cried out as the tornado hit them and carried them into the air. They blasted off into the sky.

Sylveon wove her ribbons through the holes of the net and ripped it open.

" _Are you okay?_ " Sylveon said.

Eevee nuzzled her cheek against Sylveon's. Sylveon wrapped her ribbons around her and sighed.

"I never realized Sylveon had so much fire," Clemont said.

I rubbed the back of my neck and chuckled. "She had to learn it from somewhere..."

Bunnelby said something to Eevee. Eevee shrunk back at first, but then she straightened and smiled. The three walked back to us.

"Are you all right, Eevee?" Serena said. Eevee nodded. Serena knelt. "I'd like to ask you again, Eevee... Will you come with us? I want us all to be able to dance together."

Serena held out a hand. Eevee stared at it. After a few moments of contemplation, Eevee stepped forward and nuzzled her cheek against it.

"Is that a yes?" Serena said. Eevee nodded and smiled. "Thank you, Eevee!"

Serena pulled an empty Poké Ball from her bag and held it out to Eevee. Eevee tapped her nose against the button, and the Poké Ball opened. She was sucked inside the Poké Ball. After three shakes, the Poké Ball sealed. Serena let out a deep sigh and held the Poké Ball against her heart. She stood and let Eevee out again.

"Eevee, we're going to have a lot of fun together, I just know it!" Serena said.

"Everyone, come on out and meet the new addition!" Ash said, fishing his Poké Balls from his pockets.

One by one, all our Pokémon came out until we surrounded Eevee. Eevee looked around, her eyes wide. She ran behind Serena.

"I think Eevee's a bit shy around too many strangers," I said.

Bonnie knelt in front of Eevee and held out a hand. "Don't be afraid. We all want to be your friend!"

Eevee stepped out from behind Serena and slowly approached Bonnie. Dedenne leaped from Bonnie's bag and shouted its hello. Eevee yelped and sprinted behind Sylveon and Bunnelby.

"Well, would you look at that," Clemont said. "Seems like Eevee's comfortable around Sylveon and Bunnelby. It's a great start."

" _Hey, no fair!_ " Chespin stomped its foot against the ground.

I crouched in front of Sylveon and Bunnelby. "You two help take care of Eevee, okay?"

Sylveon and Bunnelby looked at each other and smiled. " _Yes, ma'am!_ "


	52. Practice Makes Perfect

We applauded while Serena, Braixen, and Pancham bowed.

"That was great, Serena!" Ash said. "With that routine, I'm sure you'll win tomorrow's Pokémon Showcase."

"You really think so?" Serena wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. "I still think we can work on it a bit more."

Eevee wagged her tail. " _I thought it was wonderful,_ " she said.

Serena crouched before Eevee. "Thank you, Eevee. I hope you'll enjoy the Pokémon Showcase. After tomorrow, you'll be joining us in our routines!"

Eevee grinned. " _I can hardly wait!_ " She looked at Sylveon and Bunnelby. " _You'll watch me, won't you?_ "

" _Of course!_ " Sylveon patted Eevee's head with her ribbon. " _There's no way I would miss something like that._ "

Eevee beamed. Serena smiled.

"I'm glad you're all getting along," I said. "It's good that Eevee has already made friends."

A stream of light burst from Clemont's pocket, and Chespin emerged.

" _What about me?_ " he said.

Eevee's smile faded, and she shrunk behind Bunnelby.

" _Aw, come on! I'm friendly!_ " Chespin and Eevee circled around Bunnelby.

Sylveon wrapped her ribbons around Chespin and lifted him in the air. " _Maybe a little_ too _friendly._ "

Clemont took Chespin from Sylveon. "It's okay, Chespin. It may take some time, but Eevee will eventually warm up to all of us."

"Hey, hey, hey!" a voice called from across the battlefield. We looked and saw Tierno and Blastoise.

Shauna poked her head out from behind Blastoise. Ivysaur stood at her feet. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Shauna!" Serena cried. The two trainers and their Pokémon crossed the battlefield and joined us. "It's so good to see you."

"Not as good as it is to see _you_!" Tierno said. "You're as lovely as always!"

Serena sweatdropped. "Thank you... Tierno..." She turned to Shauna. "Are you here to enter the Pokémon Showcase?"

"Of course! Ivysaur and I have been practicing non-stop since the last Showcase! I can't wait for you to see our performance," Shauna said.

"Same here!"

Shauna looked past Serena and at Eevee. "Aw, what a cute Eevee! Is that your new partner?"

"Uh-huh. Eevee, this is my friend, Shauna."

Eevee grimaced over Bunnelby's shoulder. Serena walked over and picked Eevee up.

"It's okay. Shauna's really nice." Serena turned to Shauna. "Eevee's really shy. There's few people she's comfortable around right now."

"You're so lucky. You'll have so many possibilities for this little one."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Eevee has many different evolutions, and each one can bring their own amazing flavor to performances," Shauna said. "For example, if you evolve it into Flareon, you can pair it up with Braixen and create some powerful fire performances. Or you could evolve it into Leafeon and partner it with Pancham. Of course, that doesn't limit out the other evolutions. The rest include Umbreon, Espeon, Glaceon, Jolteon, Vaporeon, and Sylveon."

"I've never given it that much thought before..." Serena smiled at Eevee. "Isn't that exciting?"

Eevee tilted her head to the side and gaze curiously at Serena.

* * *

"Have you seen Trevor recently?" Ash said as we sat inside the Pokémon Center.

"Uh-huh. He was supposed to be here with us, but on the way, he found a Pokémon he didn't have in his photo collection yet. He's been chasing it down ever since," Tierno said. "You're getting ready to challenge the Anistar Gym, right?"

"Yup."

"Best of luck to you. I've already challenged that Gym, and I lost. The Gym leader's tough."

"Really? I'll have to see for myself when it's my turn."

Eevee scurried across the floor and hopped into Serena's lap. Chespin chased after her with a Poké Puff in hand. Bonnie reached down and grabbed him as he passed.

"Do you plan on having Eevee in your next performances?" Shauna said.

"Yes," Serena said.

"Well... I'm not sure if that's a good idea. Eevee's so shy, and there are thousands that watch Pokémon Showcases. I'm not sure Eevee would be able to handle so many people."

Serena looked at Eevee and stroked her fur. "That may be so... but Eevee has a beautiful dance. I want everyone to see it. Eevee loves to perform, and I don't want to deprave her of that." Eevee looked up at her, and Serena smiled. "I'm not worried about her at all."

Ash leaped from his chair and slammed his hands on the table. Eevee flinched and jumped off Serena's lap. She scurried behind a plant tucked in the corner of the room.

"I've got it!" he cried. He pointed at Eevee, who shrunk deeper behind the plant. "It's time for Eevee to do some training!"

"Ash, don't be so loud," Bonnie said. "And what do you mean, training?"

"Why don't we try putting Eevee into battle? The experience could help her with her shyness, and it could strengthen hers and Serena's relationship."

Serena tapped a finger against her chin. "That's a good idea..." She stood from her chair and walked over to Eevee. She crouched to her level. "Eevee, how would you like to battle with me?" Eevee stepped out from behind the plant and knit her eyebrows. Serena picked her up. "I don't think she's quite convinced yet..."

I stood up from my chair. "Why don't we make it a tag battle?" I said. "You and I can partner up, so Eevee can battle alongside Sylveon. What do you think, Sylveon?"

Sylveon stood by my feet and nodded excitedly.

"How about that, Eevee? Would battling with Sylveon be more comfortable?"

" _It'll be a lot of fun,_ " Sylveon said.

Eevee looked to Sylveon and nodded slowly. " _Okay._ "

"We can help!" Shauna said. "Tierno and I can team up, and we'll battle you."

* * *

Clemont stood in the referee box and cleared his throat. "The tag battle between the team of Serena and Rylee and the team of Shauna and Tierno will now begin. Each team may use two Pokémon, one for each trainer. The battle is over when both Pokémon from either side are unable to battle."

"Are you ready?" I said. Serena nodded.

"What about you, Eevee?" Serena said. Eevee stared at the battlefield nervously. "There's no need to worry. We're with you until the end."

Eevee looked up at Serena and smiled. Clemont raised his arm in the air and sliced it down.

"Battle, begin!"

"Let's show them _our_ dance moves!" Tierno said. "Blastoise, Rapid Spin!"

Blastoise retreated into its shell and spun like a top towards us.

"Eevee, use Protect!"

Protect formed in front of her, and Blastoise ran into it. It ricocheted off it and emerged from its shell.

"Ivysaur, use Energy Ball!"

Ivysaur formed a ball of green energy and launched it at us.

"Dodge it, Eevee!"

Eevee stared at the hurtling Energy Ball with wide eyes. She stepped back, but she lost her footing and fell.

"Eevee, look out!"

The Energy sailed straight for her.

"Sylveon!"

The Energy Ball landed, and it kicked up a cloud of dirt. When the dirt subsided, Sylveon stood in front of Eevee. Her ribbons were up in front of her face, and the Energy Ball hit them. With a grunt, Sylveon pushed the Energy Ball into the air, and it exploded.

" _Are you okay?_ " Sylveon said.

"What do you think?" Serena said. "This is what battling is like. Isn't it exciting?"

Eevee stood up and nodded. She stepped to Sylveon's side and glared at her opponents.

"Let's finally get this battle started. Eevee, it's time to show them your dance!" Serena said.

"We're going to see this lovely dance of yours? I want to know if it'll be as groovy as ours!" Tierno said. "Blastoise, use Hydro Pump!"

Blastoise flipped into the air, landed on its feet, and fired water from one of the nozzles on its back.

"Dodge!"

"Jump!"

Sylveon moved out of the way. Eevee leaped over the water Blastoise. She landed and started to dance. She leaped across the battlefield, and Blastoise struggled to follow her.

"Ivysaur, use Razor Leaf!"

"Sylveon, use Fairy Wind!"

Sylveon circled around Blastoise as Ivysaur used Razor Leaf. The moves met in the middle, creating a thick and powerful tornado. Eevee and Blastoise continued their dance battle. Blastoise began to grow tired.

"Now, Eevee! Use Swift!"

Eevee jumped back and swiped her tail. Serena's eyes widened as she watched the Swift soar through the air. Energy stars burst from them and hit Blastoise. It brought its arms up to block the attack, but it tumbled down the battlefield.

"That was amazing! Are you sure this is Eevee's first battle?" Shauna called.

Serena stared at Eevee with shaking eyes. She bowed her head, the rim of her hat covering her eyes. She quickly straightened again and smiled.

"Rylee, can I withdraw from the battle?" she said.

"Huh?" I said.

"I just thought of a new performance idea, and I'd like to get started right away. I hope that's all right."

I chuckled. "It's fine. I'm glad this helped inspire you."

"I hope to see this new idea at the next Pokémon Showcase!" Shauna said.

Serena nodded. "Eevee, Braixen, Pancham... Let's go practice!"

The three Pokémon nodded, and they and Serena hurried off the battlefield.

"I'm going to withdraw, too," Shauna said. "There's no way I'm going to fall behind Serena. Ivysaur, let's go!"

Shauna waved, and she and Ivysaur left.

"So... is the battle over?" Bonnie said.

"I'm still raring for a battle," Tierno said. "How about it, Rylee? Let's change this into a one-on-one match. I want to see your sick moves myself!"

"Sure, I'm up for it," I said. I smiled. "I hope you're ready."

"All right, then. The battle between Rylee and Tierno will now begin! Both sides may use only one Pokémon, and the battle is over when either Pokémon is unable to battle. And... begin!"

"Blastoise, use Hydro Pump!"

Blastoise pivoted its body. I narrowed my eyes as it fired.

"Sylveon, dodge."

Sylveon moved out of the way of the rushing water. Blastoise stopped and faced Sylveon. It started to sway in sync with Tierno.

"One, two! One, two! Give them a taste of your Rapid Spin!"

Blastoise retreated into its shell and spun towards Sylveon.

"Dodge again."

Sylveon leaped across the battlefield, avoiding Blastoise as it chased after her.

"Is that all you got?" Tierno said. "Use Hydro Pump!"

Blastoise planted its feet on the ground and aimed its nozzle.

"Move to his back and use Fairy Wind!"

Sylveon sprinted around Blastoise right as it fired, stood behind him, and attacked. The Fairy Wind rammed into Blastoise's back. It lifted it off the ground a few inches, and it fell forward and landed on its stomach.

"Blastoise, wrap this up with Skull Bash!"

"Stand your ground, Sylveon..."

Sylveon planted her feet and glared at Blastoise. The battlefield was silent. Those on the sidelines held their breath. Finally, Blastoise launched forward, propelling itself like a rocket using its nozzles.

"Dazzling Gleam!"

Sylveon spread out her ribbons and released a blinding light. Blastoise covered its eyes. Sylveon jumped of out the way. Blastoise came straight towards me. I twisted my body and leaned away as Blastoise zoomed past me, kicking up a gust of wind that disturbed my hair and clothes. Blastoise rammed headfirst into the stone wall behind me, leaving a deep crater. The haze of dirt cleared, and it lay on the ground, unconscious.

"Blastoise is unable to battle. Which means the winners of this match is Sylveon and Rylee!" Clemont said.

I smoothed my tornado-blown hair and smiled. I stepped onto the battlefield, and Sylveon ran over and jumped into my arms.

"Good job, Sylveon," I said as I pat her head.

"Blastoise!" Tierno rushed to Blastoise's side as it sat up. "Are you all right?"

Blastoise rubbed its head and gave Tierno a thumbs-up. Tierno sighed.

"That was awesome, Rylee! You've got amazing battling skills!" Tierno said.

"Thanks," I said. "Blastoise is constantly moving around, but it has to stop when it uses Hydro Pump. I decided to use that to my advantage." I smiled at Blastoise. "Sorry if I was too harsh."

Blastoise shook its head.

"No wonder Trevor admires you so much. You and your Pokémon pack intense punches. I bet you would take down the Anistar Gym in no time!"

I sweatdropped. "Thanks, but I'll let Ash handle the Gym battles. I have a different agenda, like everyone else."

"And what's that?"

"Uh... Just sightseeing and traveling with my friends."

Tierno folded his arms, closed his eyes, and nodded, as if truly moved by my answer. "Kalos does have a lot to offer. Make sure you take in as much as possible while you're here!"

"I'll do my best..."

"How about you and I have a battle now, Tierno?" Ash said.

"Sure! After Blastoise gets healed up, we'll take you on!" Blastoise stood, and the two headed into the Pokémon Center.

"Nice save," Clemont said.

I sighed. "That was a close one."

"You haven't told anyone about your mission, huh?"

"No one except you." I folded my arms. "I still haven't heard anything yet. Maybe I'll call N and see how he's doing."

"Maybe they'll show up here in Anistar City. That way, we can tackle three events at once." Clemont snickered.

I rolled my eyes.


	53. Dancing Our Way to Victory

A scream erupted within our room, and I shot up in bed. Ash tumbled out of his bed and leaped to his feet. He struck a fighting stance, his hands ready to chop. He would've looked intimidating if he wasn't a 14-year-old boy with bedhead and wrinkled pajamas.

"What?! What happened?!" he cried.

Serena burst out of the bathroom. "Do you know what time it is?!"

"What's going on?" Clemont blindly reached for his glasses and put them on.

"We're late! Registration ends in fifteen minutes!"

A pair of fists pounded against the front door. " _Serena_!" Shauna cried.

Serena threw the door open. Shauna was in her pajamas, and she was putting her hair up in pigtails.

"You're not ready either?!" Serena said.

"We all overslept!" Shauna said. "We've got to go!"

"Give us five minutes!" Shauna hurried next door, and Serena slammed the door shut. " _Get up_!"

We crawled out of our beds and scurried around the room. With their clothes in hand, Serena shoved Ash and Clemont out the door so us girls could get ready. Exactly five minutes later, the fists returned to the door. Serena put on her hat and opened the door.

"Are you ready now?" Shauna said. "We only have ten minutes left!"

"We're ready!" Serena said.

"Let's go, go, go!"

We scrambled out of the room, down the hall, and out of the Pokémon Center. As we sprinted down the street, we apologized to people that jumped out of our way. The stadium where the Pokémon Showcase would be held came into view, and we picked up the pace. We climbed up the steps. Serena and Shauna hurried through the doors while the others collapsed on the ground.

"I hope... that they... made it in time..." Clemont wheezed.

A few minutes later, Serena and Shauna exited the stadium.

"So? Did we make it?" Bonnie said.

Serena nodded. "Uh-huh. And just in time, too."

"Thank goodness."

"Sorry we had to rush," Ash said.

Shauna waved her hand dismissively. "It's fine, really. We're here now, and that's what matters."

We entered the stadium. A continuous stream of people trickled in, slowly occupying the stadium.

"The dressing rooms are down this way. If you walk a little bit back that way, you'll find the doors to the stage," Serena said, pointing the way we came. "Make sure you find good seats."

"We should go now, while there are still fewer people here," Clemont said. "Good luck on your performances, you two."

"Thanks! I'll do my best!"

"Me, too!" Shauna said.

Serena fished out a Poké Ball and opened it. Eevee emerged, and she looked around the stadium nervously. Her ears were tucked close to her head.

"Eevee," Serena crouched closer to Eevee's level. Eevee crept closer, "I know there are a lot of people, but I hope you'll watch our performance. It's going to be a lot of fun!" Sylveon crept to Eevee's side and smiled. "You'll have Sylveon with you, so everything will be okay."

Eevee looked at Sylveon and scooted closer to her. Sylveon patted her head with one of her ribbons.

"Bunnelby can help out, too." Clemont pulled out Bunnelby's Poké Ball and brought it out. Bunnelby waved to Eevee, who perked up slightly.

Another blue stream burst from Clemont's pocket. " _Me, too!_ " Chespin cried.

Eevee yelped and hid her face in Sylveon's fur. Sylveon shielded Eevee with her ribbons and gave Chespin a pointed glare.

" _You've yet to learn, don't you?_ " Bunnelby sweatdropped. Animated waterfalls fell from Chespin's eyes.

Clemont picked up Chespin. "I'll be sure to keep an eye on Chespin..."

Serena chuckled. "We'll see you guys later."

She and Shauna waved and scurried down the hallway to the dressing rooms. We circled around the stadium and found the doors. The setting was just like the last time we attended a Pokémon Showcase: dimmed lights with spotlights slowly circling around the stage. As time passed, more people filled the seats. Soon, the stadium was packed; not a seat was empty. Gold lights illuminated the stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" a voice boomed. A pair of doors on the stage opened, and Monsieur Pierre stepped through. "Thank you for coming, and welcome to the Anistar City Pokémon Showcase! I am your host, Monsieur Pierre, and I am delighted to present the lovely lasses who will compete for the winner's spot, as well as this dazzling Princess Key!"

Monsieur Pierre lifted his cane, and his partner, Klefki, popped off the tip and floated in the air. A Princess Key dangled from its keychain.

"Let's not keep you waiting any longer. It's time for the Theme Performance! Today's theme will be a Pokémon Quiz!" Three podiums rose onto the stage. Monsieur Pierre began his descent down the staircase. "A Kalos Queen needs a balance of beauty and brains. In this stage, whichever Performer correctly answers three questions first will move on to the next round."

"That seems simple enough," Clemont said.

"Really? Sounds difficult to me..." Ash said.

"I'm sure you've got some knowledge tucked inside there, Ash," I said.

"Easy for you to say."

I chuckled and faced forward.

"But... there is a catch," Pierre continued. "In order to answer the questions, a Performer's Pokémon must earn them the right. With each group of Performers comes a mini-challenge that the Pokémon must participate in, and the winner of the mini-challenge gets to answer. Now, my audience, let's introduce our first trio of Performers!"

The platforms behind the podiums lifted, and the first round of Performers stood on stage.

"Hey, it's Serena!" Bonnie said. Serena stood at the left podium with Braixen and Pancham at her side.

"Looks like she's up against Nini," Clemont said. Nini stood at the left podium, with Farfetch'd at her side.

"Who's Nini?" Tierno said.

"She's a friend of ours. She's a Performer, just like Serena and Shauna."

"For the first group, your trial will be the rock trial," Pierre said. A spotlight shined on a large rock wall. "The partner Pokémon will retrieve one of the balls contained inside the three rocks. Whoever returns to the start line first earns the right to answer. Now, let the first Pokémon Quiz round begin!"

Pancham, Farfetch'd, and Solrock stood at the start line, each ready to run when it was time.

"First question! What is the name of Eevee's Fairy-type evolution?" Pierre said.

The three partner Pokémon sprinted for the rocks and began to smash at them with their moves. While Nini and the other Performer, Lily, thought about the question, Serena stood with a confident smile.

"Easiest question," I said. I looked to Sylveon. "Right?"

Pancham consistently used Arm Thrust on its rock. Finally, the rock shattered, and a pink ball tumbled out. Pancham grabbed it and hurried to the finish line. A few moments later, Farfetch'd retrieved its ball and chased after Pancham. Along the way, Pancham tripped, and the ball fumbled from its paw. It quickly retrieved it, but Farfetch'd sprinted past it. The two hurried to the finish line, but Farfetch'd crossed it first.

"And the right to answer goes to Nini!" Pierre said. "Nini, please give us your answer."

"Um... the answer is..." Nini said. "Espeon!"

A buzzer blared, and Nini's face fell.

"I'm sorry, but Espeon is a Psychic-type. Which means the right to answer now moves to Serena!"

"What?!" I cried.

"Well, she doesn't travel with a Sylveon..." Clemont said.

"That's not a good enough reason for her to get it wrong!" I sighed and sat back in my seat. Sylveon patted my arm with her ribbon.

"Eevee's Fairy-type evolution is Sylveon," Serena said.

"Correct!" Pierre said. "One point to Serena! Now, for the next question. Gloom has two evolved forms, Vileplume and what?"

This time, Pancham crossed the finish line first.

"The right to answer goes to Serena! What is your answer?" Pierre said.

"Vileplume and Bellossom!" Serena said.

"Correct! The next question... Which is heavier: Ursaring or Exploud?"

"Okay, I can see where the questions could be difficult," I said.

The round ended, and Serena won. She got the three right answers quickly, while Nini only got one and Lily didn't get any. The rest of the Theme Performance passed, and Serena and Shauna both successfully made it to the next round.

" _Isn't this fun to watch?_ " Sylveon said to Eevee. They and Bunnelby shared the same seat between me and Clemont.

Eevee gazed at the stage with shimmering eyes. She looked at Sylveon and nodded.

The lights dimmed as the last group of Performers and the podiums were lowered off the stage. A spotlight illuminated the spot Pierre stood under.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, it is time for the Freestyle Performance! The lovely ladies who passed the Theme Performance will now pour their hearts and souls out as they show off the routines they have prepared for you. As per usual, the judges will be the audience. When all performances are finished, vote for the Performer you liked the most with your Glow Caster. Whoever has the most votes is the winner!" Pierre said. "Now, please join me in welcoming our first Performer, Shauna!"

Shauna and her Pokémon, Ivysaur and Flabébé, rose onto the stage and performed. Using Flabébé's Fairy Wind and Ivysaur's Vine Whip, Shauna glided through the pink, shimmering air. The audience cheered when they finished, and they quickly exited.

"Now for our next Performer, the beautiful and mysterious Jessilee!"

An orange spotlight shaped like an evil pumpkin face illuminated the dark stage, thanks to Gourgeist who floated above. Jessilee and her Meowth, dressed in Halloween costumes, posed on the stage. Jessilee twirled around.

"Seed Bomb!"

Gourgeist spun in the air and unleashed a rain of Seed Bombs. They struck the ground around Jessilee, and sparks sprung back up. They exploded into fireworks, filling the air with loud booms. I heard the audience cry out in amazement.

The fireworks ceased, and Bunnelby and Sylveon screamed.

"What's wrong?" I said.

" _E-Eevee's gone!_ " Bunnelby said.

" _She got spooked by the fireworks and ran off!_ " Sylveon said.

"What?!" Ash jumped to his feet. "Come on, let's go find her!"

We climbed out of our seats and hurried out of the stadium. We ran down the hallway. Ash skidded to a stop when we passed by the gate leading to backstage.

"Excuse me," Ash said to the security guard at the gate, "did you see an Eevee run by here?"

"No, I haven't. Sorry," the guard said.

"Okay, thanks..."

Serena, Braixen, and Pancham emerged from the hallway. "Ash? What are you all doing out here?"

"Serena, thank goodness we found you! Eevee's disappeared!"

Serena's eyes widened. "What?!" She hurried to the gate. "Ma'am, I need to find my Eevee!"

"But you have to perform soon. If you don't make it in time, you'll be disqualified," the security guard said.

"Please, give me just a few minutes!"

"We'll look for Eevee, Serena. You go onto the stage and perform," Clemont said.

"Yeah, you've spent so much time practicing, it'd be a shame if you wasted it," Bonnie said.

"No!" Serena cried. "I can't perform knowing Eevee's somewhere out there, alone and scared. She needs me! I've been practicing so hard lately so it'd be a performance that Eevee could enjoy. If Eevee's not there to watch, then what's the point?"

The security guard gazed thoughtfully at Serena and nodded. "I'll go and see if I can move you to the last performance slot," she said.

Serena bowed. "Thank you. I'm sorry for causing so much trouble."

The guard opened the gate, and Serena, Braixen, and Pancham sprinted down the hallway. We followed her into the lobby.

"Eevee!" Serena called. "Eevee, where are you?"

Despite the packed stadium in the middle of performances, there were still several people exploring the lobby, either resting from the excitement, getting food from the concessions stands, or a quick trip to the restroom. The foot traffic made it difficult to find Eevee.

Tiny footsteps padded against the linoleum floor. We turned and saw Eevee running towards us.

"Eevee!" Tears pricked Serena's eyes as she hurried to greet Eevee. She fell to her knees and embraced Eevee. "Thank goodness you're all right." She pulled away and set Eevee down. "I'm sorry you got scared. Are you all right?"

Eevee nodded. " _Don't worry about me. You have a performance to go do, and... and I'll make sure I see it! I promise!_ " she said. " _I'll cheer so loud, you'll be able to hear me!_ "

Serena smiled and wiped her eyes. "Thank you, Eevee." She stood and turned to us. "I'll make sure this performance is my best one yet!"

"Serena!" The security guard poked her head into the lobby. "Did you find Eevee?"

"I did!"

"Good, because you're on in a few minutes!"

"I'm coming!" Serena turned to Eevee. "I hope you watch closely, Eevee. This performance is just for you."

Eevee smiled, her eyes shimmering, and nodded. Serena, Braixen, and Pancham hurried past the security guard and down the hallway. We went back into the stadium and sat in our seats once more.

"Now, it's time for our final performance," Monsieur Pierre said. "Please help me welcome her: Performer Serena!"

The platform rose, and Serena, Braixen, and Pancham stood on stage. Light illuminated the stage, and the audience applauded.

"Let's go!" Serena and her Pokémon leaped into the air. When they came back down, Braixen aimed her stick at the sky and unleashed Flamethrower. "Pancham, use Arm Thrust!"

Pancham leaped into the air, its paw glowing, and dealt quick punches at the Flamethrower. The fire dissipated, replaced by sparkles that rained onto the stage.

"Now!"

Pancham and Braixen leaped into the air, arching past each other. Eevee gasped as the three danced on stage.

" _That's my dance!_ " She bounced on the seat with a big grin. " _I taught them that! That's my dance!_ "

At the end of their dance, Pancham used Stone Edge. Braixen leaped on the glowing blue pillars, climbing higher and higher with each one. When she moved to another one, the previous Stone Edge exploded into blue sparkles. At the last Stone Edge, Braixen leaped high into the air and aimed her stick. She unleashed a Fire Blast that hung over the audience. The Fire Blast burst, showering the audience with orange sparkles.

We jumped out of our seats and cheered as Serena and her Pokémon bowed. The audience roared. The platform lowered, and they disappeared. A few moments later, the five Performers came back on stage.

"It is time for the audience to vote! Please take your Glow Casters and vote for your favorite Performer!" Monsieur Pierre said. We grabbed the Glow Casters strapped to the back of the chairs in front of us. Ready... vote!"

We lifted our Glow Casters in the air. All of ours, save Tierno's, glowed pink for Serena. The bright lights migrated onto the stage, and the corresponding Princess Keys absorbed the lights. Once they had all been collected, the votes were tallied above the Performers' heads.

"The winner of the Anistar City Pokémon Showcase is..." Monsieur Pierre said. "Performer Serena!"

Serena punched her fist in the air. Braixen and Pancham hurried to her side, and the three embraced. The audience cheered.

The other Performers left the stage, leaving Serena and her Pokémon.

"Congratulations, Performer Serena! Your performance was wonderful. To prove the hard work and dedication you showed that helped you claim the winner's spot, I present to you this Princess Key!" Pierre said.

Klefki hovered in front of Serena and offered the Princess Key to her. Serena accepted the Princess Key and held it up. The audience cheered.

"That concludes the Anistar City Pokémon Showcase! Thank you, everyone, for coming, and we eagerly await the day that we see you again!"

* * *

The audience filed out of the stadium, each talking about the amazing performances they saw. The Showcase had lasted all day, and it was now evening. We waited outside for Serena and Shauna to finish getting changed. The doors opened, and they stepped out.

"Congratulations, Serena!" Bonnie said. "Your performance was amazing!"

"Thank you!" Serena said. Eevee leaped into Serena's arms. "Did you like our performance?"

" _I did, I did!_ " Eevee nodded quickly and eagerly.

Serena smiled. "I'm glad."

"The dance at the end was my favorite part," Ash said.

"Really? That's great! Eevee's the one that taught us. We put a lot of time into perfecting it. Of course, it'll never be as good as hers." Serena lifted Eevee up to her face. "Next time, we'll enter together. I can't wait to start dancing with you!"

"Now that we both have two Princess Keys, we'll both have to work even harder for our third," Shauna said. "I'll make sure to get my third Key before you, Serena."

Serena flashed a determined smile. "No way! I'm going to get my third Princess Key first."

Shauna laughed. "Watching your dance gave me a bunch of new ideas for our next performance. I'm already really excited for the next Showcase. Until then, you better keep up with me!"

"Of course!" Serena and Shauna grasped and shook hands.

Tierno turned to Shauna. "Well, we better go and find Trevor," he said.

Shauna shook her head. "I bet he got so caught up in photography that he's lost now." Shauna turned back to us and waved. "We'll see you guys later!"

We waved as Shauna and Tierno disappeared down the street.

"Now that the Showcase is over," I said, "it's time for your Gym battle, Ash."

"How could I forget?" Ash said. He pumped his fist in the air. "I'm going to give it all I've got!"

"Let's go to the Gym tomorrow," Clemont said. "Watching all those performances tuckered me out."

"Make sure you win your Gym battle, Ash," Serena said. "That way we'll both have won our events!"

"Of course! There's no way I'm going to lose!" Ash said.


	54. Clairvoyance

I gasped as my eyes popped open. I sat up in bed and clutched the side of my head as images washed over my mind. A haze of green clogged my thoughts. I saw flashes of me, Ash, and Professor Sycamore. It was only of our faces, and it passed as quickly as it came. I slowly opened my eyes. They felt warm, and I blinked until they cooled down. I pulled the covers off and planted my feet on the ground.

 _That was... weird._ I stood up and straightened the bed, careful not to disturb Zoroark or Sylveon. I glanced at the clock. My friends would be waking up soon. Light bled through the curtains. I tiptoed to the bathroom, turned on the light, and closed the door. _Now that I think about it, I haven't had a vision in quite a while. Not since we first met Goomy._

I chuckled and scratched my head. _I hope I'm not getting rusty._

I pinned my hair up, and splashed water on my face. There was a knock at the door. The doorknob turned, and Ash peeked inside.

"Mind if I join you?" he said.

"Sure," I said. Ash stepped inside and closed the door. "Did you manage to get some sleep?"

"Only a little. The night before a Gym battle is always difficult; I'm so excited that I can't sleep. It's like Christmas Eve." Ash put toothpaste on his toothbrush. "How come you're up early?"

I rubbed soap on my hands and applied it to my face. "A vision woke me up. I figured since it's not too early, I'd be up for the day."

Ash paused in brushing his teeth. "A vision? What was it about?" His words were slurred, and he tilted his head back and kept his mouth small to keep the toothpaste from dribbling out.

I rinsed the suds off my face. "All I saw was me, you, and Professor Sycamore. Our faces appeared one at a time for a few seconds, and then it was over." I dried my face with a towel.

Ash spat into the sink. "Really? That's it?"

I handed him a towel and tossed mine over my shoulder. Ash dried his mouth. "Yeah. I mean, I've gotten weird and cryptic visions before, so I'm not surprised."

"It could be the start of a chain. Maybe you'll get some more later."

"That is true..." I smiled and ruffled Ash's hair. "Look at you, thinking like an adult."

Ash scowled. "I can be mature if I want to."

"You just choose not to."

"Exactly... H-Hey!"

I laughed and worked on brushing my teeth. Stirring came from the other side of the door; Ash's outburst had woken everyone else up.

The door opened, and Serena rubbed her eyes and stepped in.

"Morning," she yawned.

"Still exhausted from yesterday?" I said.

Serena nodded. "I feel like I can sleep for a week."

"But then you'd miss my Gym battle," Ash said.

Serena yawned again and smiled. "I'll take a nap afterwards, then."

With the rest of us awake, we got ready for the day. We headed to the front entrance.

"Good morning!" Nurse Joy said with a bright smile. "I hope you all slept well."

"Some more than others," Ash chuckled. He faced us. "Come on, let's hurry to the Anistar Gym!"

He turned on his heel and bolted for the door.

"H-Hey! Wait up, Ash!" Bonnie cried.

Serena, Bonnie, and Clemont hurried after Ash. I sighed and headed towards the door.

 _"And now for more Mega Evolution-related news."_ I stopped and turned to the T.V. The news reporter, a woman with bright pink hair and orange eyes shielded behind white frames, sat in front of a pastel background. _"Professor Sycamore is scheduled to visit Anistar City's sundial today. It is theorized that the sundial came from space, but recent studies have revealed a connection to Mega Stones."_

"Professor Sycamore's here...?" I said.

 _"The conclusions that Professor Sycamore may draw from this investigation have peaked the interest of Mega Evolution enthusiasts all over Kalos. We'll be sure to report them to you as soon as we can. Until then, I'm Malva, and I hope you have a nice day."_

The subject shifted to an interview with the owner of a Vivillon habitat. I hurried to the door and out of the Pokémon Center.

"Come _on_ , Rylee!" Bonnie cried. Everyone had regrouped outside.

"Hey, guys," I said, jogging to join them, "a news report just said that Professor Sycamore's in town."

"Really? Why's he here?" Clemont said.

"He came to study the sundial. It's connected to Mega Evolution."

"Seriously?!" Ash cried. His eyes sparkled. "Change of plans! Let's go and visit Professor Sycamore, and then I'll have my Gym battle."

"The sundial is on the way, which makes it more convenient." Serena glanced up from her Town Map.

"Let's go!"

We hurried down the streets of Anistar City, passing by the shops and houses. No matter where you were in the town, you could always see the giant sundial. The pink jewel glistened in the late-morning sunlight. We hurried to the bridge leading up to it.

As we came closer, a cloud of smoke burst before us.

"What the...?" Ash said.

We arrived at the middle of the bridge, where the sundial loomed over it. The smoke cleared.

"Professor Sycamore!"

Pieces of destroyed equipment lay on the ground. Professor Sycamore climbed to his feet, his lab coat dirty from hitting the ground. Colress and Alyssa looked up, Colress's arms around Alyssa from shielding her. A woman with long, magenta hair tied back in pigtails stood before them with a Sigilyph.

"Alyssa!" I hurried to her side and helped her and Colress up. "Are you all right?"

"Yes..." Alyssa said. She looked to the woman. "She just attacked us out of nowhere."

I glared at the woman. "What do you think you're doing?!"

The woman's eyes widened, and her scowl hardened. "Y... You people..." She gritted her teeth. She pulled out a Poké Ball. "Sableye!"

The Poké Ball opened, and Sableye came out. It and Sigilyph stood side by side.

"I order you to leave Anistar City immediately. Failure to obey will lead to force!"

"Why? We haven't done anything wrong!" Ash said, stepping to my side.

"You three will bring nothing but chaos to our city! Lady Olympia had foreseen it, and I will do what it takes to protect her and my people!" the woman said.

"Olympia? The Gym Leader?"

"You're the one who's attacking innocent people for no reason. If anyone is causing chaos here, it's you!" I said.

"How dare you..." The woman thrust her arm forward. "Sableye, use Power Gem!"

The gem on Sableye's chest glowed, and it launched an energy beam at us. I thrust my arm out, and Protect formed in front of us. The woman's eyes widened at the Protect, only to have her anger take over her features once more. I dispelled the Protect.

"Professor Sycamore, take Alyssa and Colress and get out of the way," I said. "I'll handle this."

"Sigilyph, Psywave!"

I held out my arm, and Zoroark ran down it. She hopped off, glowing magenta, and transformed into her original self. She held out her hand, and the Psywave hit it. She closed her paw and grinned.

"You know that Psychic-types have no effect on Dark-types, right?" I said. "Let's see... Sigilyph is a Psychic- and Flying-type. Zoroark, jump and use Shadow Ball!"

Zoroark crouched and pushed off her feet. A Shadow Ball formed in her paws.

"Now, use Protect and knock it out of the park!"

Zoroark thrust her arm to the side, and a mallet made of Protect formed. She closed her fingers around it. Holding the mallet in both hands, with a grunt, Zoroark swung. The mallet smashed into the Shadow Ball, and the Shadow Ball rocketed towards Sigilyph. The Shadow Ball slammed into Sigilyph's chest, and Sigilyph was launched back. It crashed to the ground, throwing brick and pebbles into the air. Sigilyph lay unconscious. Its body was a few inches in the stone.

"Sigilyph, return!" The woman held out its Poké Ball and returned it. Its outline remained in the ground. The woman turned back to me and growled, her fingers trembling as she tightly gripped Sigilyph's Poké Ball. "Why, you...! Sableye, use Power Gem!"

Sableye launched another energy beam, but before it hit Zoroark, a cluster of Frubbles flew in its path and cancelled it out. I looked to Ash, who had Frogadier at his side. He smiled. I nodded.

"Don't give them time to recharge," I said. "Sylveon, use Fairy Wind!"

Sylveon hopped to Zoroark's side and thrust her ribbons forward. A pink, sparkling tornado formed and sucked up Sableye. Sableye spun around inside the tornado.

"S-Sableye!"

"Use Shadow Claw!"

Zoroark's right claw ignited with dark energy. She sprinted forward, reared back her arm, and swung. The Shadow Claw struck Sableye, knocking it out of the Fairy Wind. Sableye landed at the woman's feet, also unconscious.

The woman returned Sableye to its Poké Ball. "I won't say this again..." she said. Her voice shook from rage. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a third Poké Ball. Zoroark and Sylveon readied themselves. "For the sake of Anistar City... of Kalos... _leave at once_!"

She pulled back her arm to throw the Poké Ball. Light blue energy covered the Poké Ball, and it lifted out of the woman's hand. She gasped and looked up. The Poké Ball floated up to another woman. She floated in the air, alongside a male and female Meowstic using Psychic. She reached out and grabbed the Poké Ball.

"L... Lady Olympia..." the woman said. Her anger had diminished.

"Olympia?" Ash said. "That's the Anistar City Gym Leader?"

"That is enough, Carrie," Olympia said. Carrie flinched at her name.

"B-But-"

" _Enough_ , I said!"

Carrie fell to her knees and bowed, her face close to the ground. "Yes, ma'am."

" _What_ were you _thinking_?!" A blue-haired woman dressed in the same purple robes as Carrie ran up to her and stood before her, her arms folded tightly. "Do you have any idea what your actions could have caused?! You put innocent people's lives in danger... all for what?!"

Olympia floated down to me. "We came to admonish Carrie. I'm very sorry for the trouble she caused you."

"Um, it's fine..." I said. The others gathered around me.

"But, Lady Olympia, I did this for Anistar City-"

" _Quiet_!"

Carrie bowed her head.

"This habit of yours needs to stop," the blue-haired woman said. "This is the third time you've acted according to your own arbitrary interpretations of Olympia's visions! What if the next time, we're not there to stop you in time? Your interpretations could lead to people getting killed!"

"P-Please forgive me, Charlene," Carrie mumbled.

"I am not the one whose forgiveness you should beg for."

Carrie grimaced. She climbed to her feet and shuffled past Charlene and Olympia. She stood before me and bowed deeply.

"I'm terribly sorry! Please, forgive me for my actions," Carrie said.

I looked away. "Thank you for apologizing," I said. Carrie stood straight and stepped back to Charlene's side, her head bowed. I looked to Olympia. "So... what's this about visions?"

"Olympia is able to see the future," Charlene said.

"I saw a great crisis that will soon come to Kalos," Olympia said, her eyes closed. She opened her eyes and rested them on us. "One that you will participate in."

"In it, she saw the Professor, the boy with the Frogadier, and you, miss. Carrie believed you were our enemies."

My eyes widened.

"Didn't you have a vision like that?" Ash said.

"Yeah, but it didn't say anything about a crisis..." I said. I turned to Olympia. "What is this crisis that you saw?"

Olympia closed her eyes and bowed her head. A few moments later, they snapped open. Her pupils shrunk significantly.

I gasped as images washed over my mind. I saw Frogadier. A silhouette stood behind him. A torrent of water picked up and consumed him. A pair of red, glowing eyes pierced through the water.

The images left. I stood straight and looked at Frogadier. Frogadier tilted his head.

"What...?" I said.

"I can see it!" Olympia said. She pointed at Frogadier. "I can see your future!"

I looked at Olympia. _She saw Frogadier, too?_ I thought. _We're... having the same visions?_

"We must go to the Gym at once," Olympia said. "Please, come with me."

* * *

We looked around the Gym. The battlefield glowed blue, reflecting off our skin, eyes, and clothes. A night sky surrounded us, as if we were floating in space. Large gears were attached to the sides of the battlefield, and the balcony was made of brass and hung above us.

"Wow," Bonnie whispered. "So, can Olympia tell me my future?"

Charlene chuckled. "It doesn't work so conveniently. Olympia's visions are brought to her through the guidance of the stars. They bring the truth to her in their own time. Sometimes they can stop great misfortune from happening."

"You're talking about what happened in Hoenn, correct?" Professor Sycamore said.

I perked up. "What happened in Hoenn?"

"There was an incident in Hoenn a few months ago. The Legendary Pokémon, Groudon and Kyogre, were involved in a great battle off the coast of Rustboro City. The results could have been devastating, but Olympia had a vision in advance."

"We contacted Hoenn's champion, Steven Stone, so he could help in stopping the disaster. There were weather abnormalities as a result, but because of Olympia's prediction, the Kalos region was able to prepare accordingly," Charlene said.

"I contacted him afterwards to see how he was doing. He told me he had some extra help in the case: my old assistant, Alain, and his friend, N."

"N?!" I cried. My voice echoed into infinity. "He was there?!"

"Who's N?" Serena said.

"He's Rylee's older brother," Ash said. "He can also talk to Pokémon. Did N become a Pokémon Knight, too?"

"Yeah, we reached that rank together. He's been traveling around the regions with his friends, and Hoenn is where they were the last time we talked," I said. I turned to Professor Sycamore. "How did N do? Did Steven tell you? Is he okay?"

Professor Sycamore laughed aloud. "Well, considering that the Hoenn region didn't get destroyed, I'd say he and Alain did a great job."

"How many legendaries has N battled against now?" Ash said.

"Three," I said.

" _Three_?!" Clemont cried. Serena and Bonnie gaped at us. "How many have _you_ battled?"

I folded my arms. "Let's see... First there was the Legendary trio from Unova. Landorus was on our side while we fought Thundurus and Tornadus."

"But then we saw them again when we helped Meloetta," Ash said.

"Yeah, but I'll only count Landorus. And then there was the battle I had against my dad, so... that's four legendaries for me. If this was a competition, I'd be in the lead."

Clemont sweatdropped. "You're both so casual about all of this."

I chuckled. "When you've been through what we have, nothing surprises you."

"Amen," Ash said. We looked at each other and laughed.

Charlene giggled. Her face fell, and she turned to Olympia. "Lady Olympia?"

Olympia lifted her arm out of her cloak and aimed her palm at me.

"You also possess the power of clairvoyance," she said.

I stiffened. "Yes, ma'am, although mine works differently than yours. However, since coming to this city, I've been able to see the visions you've had." I paused. "You had a vision about a crisis coming to Kalos, and me and my friends are involved in it somehow. Is that right?"

"Yes."

I looked through the platform and at the stars. _Could Team Flare have something to do with it?_

"Do you think the Hoenn incident could be connected to this?" Clemont said.

I perked up with a quiet gasp. _That never even crossed my mind..._

"That depends on our future deciphering," Charlene said.

"Charlene, do you think these people are the ones who will cause this foreseen crisis?" Carrie said.

"You're lacking training, Carrie. Lady Olympia never said they were the _cause_ of the crisis, she said they are among the faces of those who will gather in Kalos and get caught within the vortex."

"That doesn't sound good..." Serena whispered.

"Young boy," Olympia said. Ash straightened. "The future that I just saw concerned you and your Frogadier. Your Pokémon is one that is different from others. Allow me to show you what I saw."

Olympia thrust her arms out to the sides, and her pupils dilated. She glowed green, and a portal of green opened in front of her.

"In order to know the future, we must understand the past," Olympia said. An image of a Froakie egg appeared. It burst, and the scene changed to Froakie swimming through the water. He leaped out of the water and perched on a rock. He watched a large group of Froakie laugh and dance. "Since it was born, Froakie has always been a lone wolf. It spent all its time training and improving."

It showed Froakie off in the forest, throwing Frubbles at a tree and swinging from branches.

"Because of this, it led to endless quarrels. It wasn't until it met humans that it learned that it cannot grow stronger by itself."

A battered and bruised Froakie sat on a table while Nurse Joy sprayed his wounds with a Potion. She petted its head and smiled.

"What changed Froakie wasn't words, but the emotion conveyed by humans. From that moment forward, it wasn't the Trainer that chose Froakie, but Froakie who chose the Trainer. Those whom it felt were not worthy, those whom it felt it would be useless to dedicate its heart and soul to, Froakie quickly abandoned. Trainer after Trainer went by, and Froakie had still not found 'the one'... until it met you. You had what Froakie yearned for- love."

Ash looked at Frogadier. "Is that true?" he said. Frogadier looked at Ash and nodded. Ash smiled. He looked up at Olympia. "So, what did you see in Frogadier's future?"

Olympia brought her arms down, and the pool of images vanished. "This one will gain further power."

"Like evolving into Greninja?"

"I cannot say... but you two will climb up towards a future of new greatness. One that no one has ever seen before."

"You mean Mega Evolution?" Professor Sycamore said. We looked to him. "Of course, there are no cases of Greninja Mega Evolving at the moment. Perhaps Frogadier will be the first."

Ash turned to Frogadier and placed his hand on his shoulder. "I want to reach that future with you," Ash said. "We'll grow stronger than ever before. We're in this together."

Frogadier reached up and placed his webbed hand over Ash's. He nodded.

"What is your name, boy?" Olympia said.

"I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town," Ash said.

"The Kanto region. You've traveled great lengths to be here."

"I have, and I've come here to challenge you for my seventh Gym badge."

"A Gym battle?" Olympia closed her eyes and smiled. "Although I cannot see the ending result, I can feel the fiery passion burning within you. I accept your challenge."

Ash smiled.


	55. The Future is Now

Ash and Olympia stood on either side of the floating, glowing battlefield. The others and I watched from above on the balcony; our footsteps clanked against the floor whenever we moved.

"Tierno said that Olympia is really strong," Bonnie said. "Do you think Ash will be able to beat her?"

"This is Ash's seventh Gym battle. He's come a long way since then," Serena said. "I'm sure he has a strategy to counter Olympia's power. No matter how strong Olympia may be, I know Ash is stronger."

"The battle between Gym Leader Olympia and Trainer Ash will now begin," Charlene said from the referee box. "This will be a single-round double battle. Neither the Gym Leader nor the challenger is allowed to substitute Pokémon."

"Interesting twist," I said. "Already I can tell this Gym battle will be a lot different from previous ones."

"You will battle against my Meowstic." Olympia tossed two Poké Balls onto the field. They opened, and her Meowstics emerged.

"Challenger, please bring out the Pokémon you will battle with," Charlene said.

Ash fished two Poké Balls from his pockets and threw them into the air. Frogadier and Talonflame emerged.

"Talonflame and Frogadier..." Clemont said. "Neither side has a type advantage. Assuming that Olympia's Meowstics only know Psychic moves, this battle will rely heavily on strength and skill."

"All right!" Charlene raised her hand. "Battle, begin!"

Without missing a beat, Olympia raised her hands. "Use Helping Hand, and then use Future Sight!"

The two Meowstics joined hands. The male Meowstic glowed yellow, and the energy transferred to the female Meowstic. The female Meowstic opened her ears, and the eye marks at the tips of her ears glowed blue. Glowing blue shards of psychic energy formed around her and rose high in the air. Portals formed, and the shards disappeared into them.

"Olympia's already starting the battle in her favor," I said. "Future Sight is a powerful Psychic-type move, but it takes time after the attack has been used for it to work. With Meowstic's Helping Hand, that attack will pack even more of a punch."

"How long does Future Sight take?" Serena said.

"A few minutes. That's not enough time for Ash to do any substantial damage."

"Talonflame, Flame Charge! Frogadier, Aerial Ace!"

Talonflame and Frogadier leaped into the air. Fire consumed Talonflame, and Frogadier's webbed paws glowed white. They wove in and out as they lunged at the Meowstic.

Blue energy wrapped around the Meowstics, and they dodged the attacks. They danced in the air.

"Using Psychic to dodge the attacks..." Clemont said. "That increases their evasiveness tenfold."

"Talonflame, Frogadier, I want you two to watch them closely," Ash said. "Talonflame, use Flame Charge on the male! Frogadier, use Water Pulse on the female!"

Talonflame eyed the male, lifted its wings, and took off after him. Fire consumed it. Frogadier brought his webbed hands together, formed Water Pulse, and hurled it at the female.

"Use Light Screen and Dark Pulse!"

The male Meowstic lifted his ears, and the eye marks glowed purple. A shield of purple energy covered him and his partner, and Talonflame grazed over him. The Water Pulse hit the Light Screen, creating a cloud of smoke. Dark Pulse burst through the smoke and hit Talonflame. Talonflame started to fall.

"Frogadier, catch Talonflame!"

Frogadier sprinted forward, leaped into the air, and caught Talonflame. They tumbled to the ground, Frogadier holding Talonflame close to protect it.

"I get it," I said, folding my arms. "The male Meowstic is the defender and supporter, shielding and reducing the damage and giving strength to its partner, while the female Meowstic is the attacker and dishes out the powerful offensive moves. It's a good strategy."

"Talonflame's speed is greater than Meowstic, so why was it able to use Light Screen before the attack?" Serena said.

"The male Meowstic's ability is Prankster," Professor Sycamore said. "It gives non-damaging moves a higher priority, so they always go first, regardless of the user's speed."

"And that Dark Pulse is supported by Helping Hand, so it must've dealt even more damage to Talonflame," Clemont said.

"Well, then? Are you going to make a move?" Olympia said. "If you're not, then we will. Meowstic, use double Psyshock!"

The Meowstic brought their paws together and formed a large ball of glowing purple energy. They launched it, and multiple purple missiles flew towards Frogadier and Talonflame.

"Dodge it!"

Frogadier and Talonflame jumped out of the way. The Meowstic's eye marks changed from purple to light blue, and the Psyshock curve upward and followed Frogadier and Talonflame. The two dodged as the Psyshock relentlessly followed.

"The female's Ability is Keen Eye," Professor Sycamore said.

"What does that do?" Bonnie said.

"It prevents loss of accuracy, and it's very difficult to evade the user's moves."

"Does that mean their dodging is pointless?" Serena said.

The Psyshock finally hit Talonflame and Frogadier, and they fell to the ground.

"Are you all right?" Ash called. Frogadier and Talonflame stood and nodded. "By now, Olympia's shown all her cards. Let's show them what we're made of!"

Talonflame spread out its wings and shrieked. A small smile twitched on Olympia's lips.

Portals opened above Talonflame, and Future Sight flooded out and hit it. It flew into Frogadier and knocked them both to the ground.

"There's the Future Sight," I said.

"And what timing," Clemont said. "Whatever plan Ash had to turn this match around is now ruined."

We looked to Ash, who crouched and spoke quietly to Pikachu.

"This is only the beginning of your trial," Olympia said.

Ash stood and adjusted his hat. "Then come what may," he said. "Talonflame, use Brave Bird! Frogadier, Double Team!"

Frogadier multiplied, and dozens of copies occupied the battlefield. Talonflame dove into the copies.

"Use Helping Hand, as well as Dark Pulse!"

The Meowstic joined hands, and the male transferred power to the female. The female summoned and fire a large Dark Pulse into the crowd, destroying the fake Frogadiers. In seconds, the battlefield had cleared. A thick cloud of smoke hung in the air.

"Now, Frogadier, use Cut!"

Frogadier leaped out of the smoke, wielding a glowing white rod of energy, and slammed it into the ground. A wave of energy rushed towards the female Meowstic. She fired back Dark Pulse and cancelled it out.

"Talonflame!"

Talonflame burst through the smoke, consumed with blue fire, and slammed into the female Meowstic.

"Thunder Wave!"

The female Meowstic quickly regained her composure and thrust out her paws. A tidal wave of electricity rushed towards Talonflame. Frogadier leaped in front of Talonflame, and the Thunder Wave consumed it.

"Frogadier!"

Frogadier hit the ground. Talonflame flew to Frogadier's side and swept the smoke away with its wings. Frogadier twitched on the ground.

"Use Helping Hand and Future Sight!"

Once more, the Meowstics sent psychic energy into portals. Ash looked to Pikachu, who nodded. He swung his tail back and forth like a metronome.

"What's Pikachu doing?" Bonnie said.

I cupped my chin in my hand. _A few minutes in, and it's already not looking good for Ash._ I looked at Pikachu. _I bet whatever Pikachu is doing holds the key to him turning this around... assuming he can survive long enough._

Frogadier hoisted himself onto his knees. Talonflame stood in front of Frogadier, its wings spread out wide.

"Psyshock!"

"Use Steel Wing and charge in!"

The Meowstics attacked. Talonflame's wings glowed white, and it charged.

"What's this?" Olympia said.

"If we can't dodge it, we'll confront it head on," Ash said. "The best defense is a good offense."

The Psyshock ricocheted off Talonflame's wings. The Psyshock circled back around and zoomed towards Talonflame's back.

"Use Water Pulse!"

Frogadier leaped in the air and threw Water Pulse at the Psyshock, cancelling it out. Frogadier hit the ground and fell on his knees as paralysis crackled across his skin.

"Let's go, Talonflame!"

Talonflame started to spin, becoming a giant rocket of white energy. It slammed into the male Meowstic. Meowstic tumbled back.

"Physical moves can't be blocked by Light Screen. Ash has realized this quickly and is fighting appropriately," Professor Sycamore said.

"He's also going after the male Meowstic," Clemont said. "If he can take it out, then the female Meowstic's power and defense will drop drastically."

"Don't give it time to rest! Frogadier, use Aerial Ace!"

Frogadier's webbed paws glowed white, and he sprinted towards the male Meowstic. Paralysis crackled on his skin, and Frogadier abruptly stopped. He lost his footing and stumbled.

"Dark Pulse."

The female Meowstic leaped in front of her partner and fired Dark Pulse. Frogadier launched into the air. Talonflame flew after Frogadier and caught him with its talon.

The portals opened, and Pikachu cried out. His tail stopping ticking. The psychic energy burst from the portals and hit Talonflame in the back. It and Frogadier hit the ground. As they hoisted themselves back up, using each other for support, Ash crouched to Pikachu's height once more. He smiled, stood up, and faced the battlefield.

"I admire your fighting spirit," Olympia said. "But I wonder if it will be enough to turn this battle over in your favor?"

"If it's what will motivate my Pokémon to keep going, then I have no doubt that it will!" Ash said. "We'll show you a battle worthy of a Gym badge."

Olympia smiled. "Once more, use Helping Hand and Future Sight!"

The energy retreated into the portals, and Pikachu's tail started to tick again.

"Let's go!"

"Dark Pulse! Psyshock!"

The Meowstic's eye marks glowed purple, and they fired their attacks.

"Frogadier, jump on Talonflame's back!"

Frogadier leaped back and landed on Talonflame's back. Talonflame curved upward, and the Dark Pulse and Psyshock passed under them. The Meowstic's eye marks glowed blue, and the dark and psychic energies chased after them.

"Whatever you do, don't stop moving!"

Talonflame spiraled in the air, frantically dodging the Dark Pulse and Psyshock.

"Talonflame, take a nosedive!"

Talonflame dove directly towards the Meowstic. Their attacks followed them. At the last second, Talonflame curved forward, and the attacks hit their users. They were propelled into the air.

"Now, catch Meowstic!"

Frogadier hopped off Talonflame's back and grabbed the male Meowstic. Talonflame grabbed the female Meowstic. They thrashed in the air. Pikachu's tail stopped ticking, and he cried out.

"Throw them!"

The portals opened, and Talonflame and Frogadier threw the Meowstic in front of them. The Future Sight unleashed and hit them. The two Meowstic tumbled to the ground.

"So, he had Pikachu time how long between the Future Sight's activation and execution so he could use it to his advantage," I said. I sighed. "Ash, you're so reckless."

"Amazing. This is the teamwork that I've been waiting for," Olympia said. Her Meowstic stood. "Are you all right?" They nodded and floated in the air with Psychic. "Use Psyshock!"

"Frogadier, use Cut!"

Frogadier leaped into the air as the Meowstic attacked. He summoned Cut, but cried out as the paralysis overwhelmed him. Ash's eyes widened.

"Talonflame, catch Frogadier on your back! Use your speed to back up Cut!"

Talonflame caught Frogadier and moved out of the way of Psyshock. It circled back around and chased after them. The two headed straight for the Meowstic.

"Use Helping Hand and Dark Pulse!"

With the energy transferred over, the female Meowstic launched Dark Pulse at Talonflame.

"Flame Charge!"

Talonflame stopped, and fire consumed it and Frogadier. The Psyshock and Dark Pulse hit, kicking up a cloud of smoke. The smoke subsided, and they were still in the air.

"Talonflame! Frogadier! Let's end this match!"

The two lunged at the Meowstic. The Meowstic separated. Talonflame went after the female, and Frogadier went after the male.

"Use Flame Charge and Water Pulse!"

Talonflame burst into flames and rammed into the female Meowstic, slamming it into the ground. Frogadier summoned Water Pulse and reared back his arms. The paralysis kicked in, and he faltered.

"Quickly, use Psyshock!"

The male Meowstic leaped into the air using Psychic and fired Psyshock at Frogadier. Frogadier lifted his arms, the Water Pulse still in his hands. The Psyshock hit the Water Pulse. Psychic energy splattered across the battlefield like embers from a bonfire.

"Don't give in, Frogadier!" Ash cried. Frogadier fell on one knee. "This is our first step to greatness! I'm right here with you! You can't give up now!"

My eyes widened as I looked between Ash and Frogadier. The Water Pulse expanded.

" _Now_!"

Frogadier fired the Water Pulse. It cut through the Psyshock and hit the male Meowstic. Both Meowstic collapsed on the ground, unconscious.

"Both Meowstic are unable to battle, which means the winner of this match goes to Ash, the challenger!" Charlene said.

"Yay, Ash! You did it!" Bonnie cried as she bounced up and down.

Serena sighed. "Thank goodness. I thought my heart was going to burst from the intensity."

We climbed down to the ground floor and joined Ash and Olympia on the battlefield.

"You battle splendidly," Olympia said. "During the battle, you truly were one with your Pokémon, and you found a solution to all the obstacles that arose in your path. I am proud to give you the Psychic Badge as proof of your well-earned victory."

Charlene handed a box to Olympia. Olympia opened it, pulled out the Psychic Badge, and offered it to Ash. Ash took it and smiled.

"Thank you, Olympia. It was an amazing battle," Ash said.

"It was my pleasure. I was especially impressed with your Frogadier," Olympia said.

"Were you able to see more of its future?"

"Yes. I saw great love in that final Water Pulse. I have no doubt that you two will achieve further greatness and power. However," Olympia lifted her arms. Two balls of light, one red and one blue, circled around each other, "if not handled with care, this will become a great trial. It is something that must be approached carefully and thoughtfully. Do that, and you will succeed."

Ash bowed. "Thank you, Olympia. I won't forget your words."

Ash pulled out his badge case and carefully placed the Psychic badge in the next empty slot.

"Congratulations, Ash!" Serena said.

"Looks like we did manage to win both our events."

Serena nodded. "Only one more Princess Key until I qualify for Master Class."

"And only one more Gym badge until I can enter the Kalos League." Ash raised a hand. "Let's work together to make that happen!"

Serena smiled, and the two exchanged a high-five.

"Let me see your badges!" Bonnie jumped next to Ash. Ash lowered his arms so Bonnie could see. "They're so shiny!"

"You handled your Gym battle well," I said. "Although, maybe next time you could be a little less risky."

"But risky business is my strategy, and it's worked well so far!" Ash said. I sweatdropped. "I believe it's a little something called 'dominant strategy'."

"I'm surprised you know what that is," Clemont chuckled.

"I'm surprised you know what 'dominant' means," Bonnie mumbled.

"H-Hey! I'm smarter than I look, you know!" Ash said. His stomach growled, and he clamped his hand over it. "All this excitement has worked up an appetite."

"Let's head back to the Pokémon Center and have dinner. We could all use a good night's rest after these last few days of adrenaline-pumping excitement," I said.

* * *

~TPPOV~

"I've been meaning to ask you," Professor Sycamore said to Olympia as they stood before the sundial. They faced the setting sun, "about the crisis you saw in your recent vision."

"I saw fire," Olympia said. "Green flames that will consume Kalos, pulling both human and Pokémon into its vortex. You will all play a major role in it all."

"What do you mean, us all? Did you see more than me, Ash, and Rylee?"

"This vortex has already drawn the attention of those from another region. One by one, they are gathering."

"Who?"

"I do not recognize these faces... but I see another Guardian who has been working behind the scenes."

"Guardian? As in Pokémon Guardian, like what Rylee is?"

Olympia closed her eyes and bowed her head. "The shadow of danger is fast approaching him."

* * *

~RYLEE~

N's face filled the video screen. _"Hi, Rylee,"_ he said. I scowled and slammed a hand on the screen. He flinched. _"Is something wrong?"_

"Why didn't you tell me about Groudon and Kyogre?!" I said.

N chuckled. _"So, you heard about that."_

"Yeah."

 _"Everything turned out fine. I helped Steven Stone calm the fighting legendaries, and things went back to normal... well, as normal as a week-long blizzard in the summertime can get."_

"You didn't get hurt, did you? What about your friends?"

 _"We're all fine. Aegislash kept a close eye on Mairin."_

"How's the other one, Alain?"

N's face fell. He looked over his shoulders to make sure he was alone.

"N?" I said.

N faced the screen. _"Nothing. It's nothing. Alain is a very... complex and confusing person."_

"What? N, what's going on?"

N shook off his stoic expression and smiled. _"Everything's fine, really."_

I pulled my hand off the screen and folded my arms. I searched N's face, hoping to find some hidden message. "Well... did you find anything out about Team Flare?"

 _"Oh, I sure did. I met Lysandre."_

My eyes widened. "Team Flare's leader?!" I covered my mouth and glanced down the hall. I leaned closer to the speaker and lowered my voice. "Well? What happened? Did you go all Knight mode on him?"

N chuckled. _"That's not always the best strategy, Rylee. We're definitely not very fond of each other, but he doesn't seem suspicious of me."_

I folded my arms. "Well, if _I_ was there, then he would already be behind bars..."

 _"Which is why Dad sent_ me _to do this. He needs someone who uses their head first before charging into trouble."_

I scowled and pouted.

 _"How are Ash and the others?"_

"We just got back from the Anistar City Gym. Ash beat the Gym Leader, Olympia, and got his seventh Gym badge," I said.

 _"Already? So, one more to go and he can enter the Kalos League. Do you think he'll win?"_

"I'll determine that when we're actually there. He's still as reckless as ever with his battling strategy."

 _"Well, it matches Ash's reckless attitude."_

I chuckled. "True."

N looked down the hallway. _"Well, I'd better let you go. Mairin will start looking for me soon if I don't head back."_

"It's cute how she depends on you so much. You're like a big brother to her."

 _"I think one sister is enough."_

"Hey!"

N laughed aloud. _"I'll see you later, Rylee."_

I sighed and pressed the 'end call' button. I headed down the hallway.

"One sister is enough," I murmured in a mocking tone. I opened the door to our room.

"Rylee!" Bonnie leaped off the bed. I yelped and caught her.

"Bonnie! You'll get hurt doing that!" Clemont said.

"Sorry I took so long," I said.

"How's N doing?" Ash said.

I set Bonnie down. "He's doing well, him and his friends."

"Will I get to meet your big brother one day?" Bonnie said.

"Maybe, if we're lucky enough to cross paths while we're here." I turned to Ash. "Have you figured out which Gym you'll challenge next?"

"I haven't thought about it yet." Ash looked to Serena. "What's the closest Gym from here?"

Serena pulled out her Town Map. "Here!" She turned the map over, and Ash leaned closer to get a better look. "The Snowbelle City Gym."

"Snowbelle City..." A big grin spread across Ash's face, and he leaped off his bed and threw his arms in the air. "All right! The Snowbelle City Gym it is! I'm already super stoked!"

"Where do you get all this energy from?" Clemont said. "Do you think you could share it with the rest of us?"

I laughed. As I did, the air caught in my throat. Images washed over my mind. Green flames were all I could see. A dark shadow broke through the flames, leaned its head back, and roared. The roar jolted me back, and I stumbled into the wall.

"Rylee?" I looked at my friends, who watched me with concern.

I stood straight and smiled. "I'm fine! I just got really dizzy there for a minute. I think Ash's battle exhausted me, even though all I did was watch."

"I know, right?" Bonnie said. "I feel like I can sleep for days!"

As the others talked about Ash's Gym battle, I reached up and touched my locket. Olympia's tale of the crisis filled my ears.

 _N..._ I gripped my locket. _I have a feeling our true mission is about to reveal itself soon._


	56. Mega Evolution Special IV

~N~

Mairin placed a hand on my arm. I perked up from staring out the window and looked at her.

"Are you all right?" she said.

"Huh? Yeah, why do you ask?" I said.

"You've had a serious look on your face since this morning. It's kind of scary."

"Sorry. Just thinking about Alain."

Mairin nodded. "I'm worried, too. I don't know why he keeps taking off without us. We're his traveling buddies, right? That means we've got to stick together!"

"That's right. Make sure you tell Alain that when we see him."

Mairin smiled and sat forward in her seat. I propped my cheek on my fist.

 _"Lysandre is a respected and honorable man. He's done so much for me, and I won't let you speak of him like that."_

I reached up and touched my locket. _Rylee,_ I thought, _I think we're going to be facing something big soon._

The door to the cockpit opened, and Steven waved. "We've arrived at the Kalos region!" he said.

Mairin grinned and scrambled onto my lap. I winced from her bony knees digging into my legs. She planted her hands on the glass and stared out the window.

"Kalos! I've missed you!" she cried. She looked at me. "Can we make a phone call when we land? I want to call Professor Sycamore!"

"Alain's mentor?"

"Mm-hm! I can't wait to talk with him again. I haven't seen him since I first began my journey as a Trainer. Right, Chespie?"

Chespie climbed onto my shoulder and cheered in my ear. I sweatdropped.

"How long until we land?" I called to Steven.

Steven chuckled. "A few minutes."

I sighed and looked out the window.

* * *

The plane doors opened, and Mairin and Chespie scurried down the stairs. They twirled around on the runway.

"We're here! We made it!" Mairin cheered.

Steven and I climbed down the stairs, and we headed into the airport. We rode down the escalator and to the phone booths. Mairin dialed Professor Sycamore's number (which took her a few tries), and bounced on her feet. The video screen lit up.

 _"Professor Sycamore's Laboratories. How may I help you-?"_ A young woman with blonde hair tied back and blue eyes said. Her eyes widened. _"N?"_

My jaw dropped. "Alyssa?"

"You're one of Professor Sycamore's assistants, right?" Mairin said, standing on the tips of her toes so she could be in the camera's sight. "Remember me?"

Alyssa smiled. _"Of course I do. Mairin, right? How's your Chespin doing?"_

Mairin's eyes twinkled, and she held Chespie into the frame. "We're both doing great!"

 _"That's good."_ Alyssa looked at me and chuckled. _"Nice to see you again, N. Do you need something?"_

I cleared my throat. "Uh, yes. We'd like to speak with Professor Sycamore."

 _"All right, I'll go get him."_ Alyssa stepped away.

"Do you know her?" Mairin said.

"She's my adopted sister," I said.

Mairin gasped. "Really?! Whoa!"

I chuckled nervously. Professor Sycamore, a man with blue eyes and black hair, appeared on screen.

"Professor Sycamore! Hi!" Mairin cried.

 _"Hello, Mairin. It's been a while. How have you been?"_ Professor Sycamore said.

"Great!" Mairin tugged on my sleeve. "This is one of my traveling buddies, N!"

Professor Sycamore looked at me. _"I see. So, you're N. Rylee's told me about you. You and Mairin are traveling with Alain, correct?"_

"Yes, sir," I said. "That's actually one of the reasons why we called you."

Steven stepped into the frame. Professor Sycamore's eyes widened.

 _"Steven Stone?"_

"You're aware of what happened in Hoenn, correct?" Steven said.

 _"Yes. You, Alain, and N helped calm the Weather Trio."_

"Alain arrived at Kalos without us. He decided that he wanted to travel separately from now on."

"He's always doing this! It's so frustrating!" Mairin pouted.

"Do you have any idea where he may be?" Steven said.

Professor Sycamore cupped his chin in his hand. _"Perhaps he's returned to Lysandre Labs. He's been helping Lysandre out with his research for some time."_

I clenched my fist. "Then let's go there. Right now."

Mairin looked up at me curiously. I smiled.

"Thank you, Professor," I said. "If you see my sister again, tell her I said hello."

 _"Oh, N,"_ Professor Sycamore said, _"I think you should be careful."_

I perked up. "What do you mean?"

 _"I've just recently returned from Anistar City, and I had a conversation with its Gym Leader, Olympia. She's had visions lately about a 'terrible crisis' that's coming to Kalos, and she said there's another... um..._ Guardian _that she saw that's heading into danger. Now, I don't know if she meant you, but I'd suggest you be on your guard just in case."_

I sighed. _So, Rylee told Professor Sycamore about Pokémon Guardians, huh?_

"Thank you, Professor," I said.

Professor Sycamore nodded. _"Take care."_

The video ended. Mairin turned to me.

"What did Professor Sycamore mean? What's this 'Guardian' he mentioned?" she said. "Are you going to be all right?"

I knelt to Mairin's height and patted her head. "Yes, of course. The only thing I'm worried about is finding Alain." Mairin nodded and hugged Chespie tightly. I stood and looked at Steven. "Let's go to Lysandre Labs."

* * *

Mairin craned her head and gazed at the large Lysandre Labs. "Whoa..." she whispered. "This place is huge."

Steven Stone approached an intercom and pressed a button.

 _"Lysandre Labs, how may I help you?"_ a voice said.

"My name is Steven Stone. My guests and I wish to speak with Lysandre," Steven said.

 _"Of course. Please come in. We'll let Lysandre know you're expecting him."_

The doors unlocked and slid open. We stepped inside. A large model of the earth glowed brightly and spun slowly in the center of the room, stretching between this floor and the floor below. Mairin and Chespie ran to the railing and gazed at the model. I watched the earth spin slowly, identifying the regions as they appeared.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." I turned stiffly as Lysandre and one of his assistants descended the second-floor stairs. "It's good to see you all again."

"Is Alain here?" Mairin said.

"Yes. He's battling right now, though, so you won't get to talk to him for a while."

"Can I go watch?"

"Sure. My assistant will take you to the balcony."

"Let's go watch, N!" Mairin grabbed my hand.

"Uh... yeah, sure," I said. I looked at Lysandre, who wore a blank expression towards me. "Let's go."

"I'll stay behind," Steven said. He turned to Lysandre. "I want to know more about the megalith."

"Of course. Come with me," Lysandre said.

"This way, please," Lysandre's assistant said. Mairin tugged on my arm and pulled me along. My eyes followed Lysandre as he and Steven walked back up the stairs.

I slowly reached up, grabbed my Poké Ball, and held it behind my back. I clicked the button on the front, and it enlarged. "Honedge."

The Poké Ball opened, and Aegislash emerged. It transformed into Honedge and floated against my back. I bowed my head and looked over my shoulder.

"Follow them and report back to me later," I said in a low voice. Honedge nodded and flew after Lysandre. It flew higher up to avoid being in his line of sight. I faced forward and tucked the Poké Ball in my pocket.

Lysandre's assistant led us to the balcony, and we looked down at the battlefield. Alain and Mega Charizard battled against a young boy and his Mega Venusaur. Venusaur's vines were wrapped around Mega Charizard's wrists, and they were caught in a tug-of-war.

"What's this battling for?" Mairin asked the assistant.

"Lysandre has instructed Alain to battle ten Mega Evolution Trainers in a row." The assistant pointed to a large screen on the opposite wall. Ten empty dots were on the screen. "If he loses even once, Lysandre will take away Alain's Key Stone and Mega Stone."

"What?!"

The assistant excused himself and left. I kept my eyes on the battlefield. Alain, who had heard us walk in, locked eyes with me. His scowl deepened.

"Hesitating, are you?" the boy said. "Venusaur, toss Charizard around!"

Venusaur tugged on its vines, and Charizard was lifted into the air and slammed back into the ground.

"Get up, Charizard!" Alain said. Charizard stood back up and roared, a column of blue fire bursting from its mouth.

"Use Seed Bomb!"

"Dragon Claw!"

Venusaur spewed energy seeds from the center of the flower on its back. Dragon energy consumed Charizard's claws, and it charged. It cut through the energy seeds, slicing them in half, and lunged at Venusaur. It swiped its claws in an X, and it hit Venusaur. Venusaur cried out and collapsed. It reverted to its original form.

"Venusaur!" the boy cried. He scowled and returned Venusaur to its Poké Ball.

The first empty dot on the screen was filled in.

"He did it!" Mairin sighed. "Nine more to go. Alain can do this; he's strong!"

I gripped the railing and stared at Alain as he fed Charizard a Pecha Berry. The next Trainer walked onto the battlefield and called out his Alazakam. Each side Mega Evolved their Pokémon, and the battle began.

One by one, Alain cut through the Trainers. The dots slowly filled on the screen. As the sixth dot glowed red, and the Mega Evolved Aggron collapsed, Mairin left my side.

"Mairin!" I called. Chespie chased after her as she left the balcony. "Where are you going?"

"I want to talk to Alain!" Mairin said. The doors closed behind her. I faced forward.

Charizard flew over to Alain, and Alain sprayed its wounds with a Super Potion. The doors leading out of the arena opened, and Mairin and Chespie jogged to Alain.

"Alain!" Mairin called. Alain stopped and turned. "Why are you doing this? Why would you stake your Key Stone and Mega Stone in these battles?"

Alain turned away. "That's none of your business."

"What about... our journey?"

"You mean when you started tagging along without asking?" Alain said.

"Why are you always running away, Alain? Let's keep traveling together: you, me, and N!"

Alain bowed his head. "I don't want to put you in danger."

"You keep saying that! That's your excuse for everything: that you don't want to put anyone in danger! Why can't you realize that we can take care of ourselves?! That we can help you?!"

" _Help_ me?!" Alain snapped. "All you've done is _hinder_ me! Stop getting in my way!"

Mairin's eyes widened and trembled. She bowed her head and clenched her fists. She turned on her heels and sprinted out of the arena.

 _"M-Mairin!"_ Chespie called, and he scurried after her.

I stared at Alain from above. He faced the battlefield and lifted his gaze to me. I scoffed, turned, and walked off the balcony. The doors closed behind me, and I jogged down the hall.

"Mairin!" I called. I found a stairwell and stared to climb down. After a few flights, I came to a stop. Mairin sat at the top of the next flight of stairs. She looked over her shoulder.

"N..." she said.

"Are you all right?" I said, kneeling to her level. "I'm sorry about what Alain said to you. That was awful of him to say."

Mairin shook her head and smiled. "It's all right. He's under a lot of stress from all those battles; I'm sure he didn't mean it."

"Where's Chespie?"

"He's probably around here somewhere." She faced forward. "Sorry, N, but... do you mind if I had some time alone?"

I stared at the back of Mairin's head. I stood straight. "All right." I stepped past her and climbed down the stairs. I turned the corner, and at the next set of stairs, I stopped and pressed my back against the wall.

A few moments of silence passed. Then, quiet sniffling echoed through the stairwell. The sniffling slowly escalated until Mairin's loud sobs filled the air. I bowed my head, the rim of my hat shielding my eyes, and clenched my fists.

I continued down the stairs, slowly listening to Mairin's weeping fade. I reached the bottom of the stairwell and exited through the doors. Even outside, I could still hear her. I gritted my teeth and slammed the side of my fist against the wall. I released a deep sigh through my teeth and relaxed.

 _"Help... me..."_

I perked up and looked around. There was no one nearby.

 _Where did that voice come from?_

 _"Help... me..."_

I turned to a hallway on the other side of the room. I jogged towards it.

 _"Honedge,"_ I said in my thoughts. _"Return immediately."_

As I reached the hallway, Honedge appeared at my side.

"Anything?" I said. Honedge shook his head. "It's all right. Thank you." I pulled its Poké Ball from my pocket, returned it, and clipped it next to my locket. I hurried into the hall.

I reached a fork in the hall, one way leading left and the other leading right. The right quickly came to a dead end, so I started to go left. Over my shoulder, I heard banging. I skidded to a stop and turned. The air vent at the dead end trembled. I sprinted over and stood underneath.

"Hello?" I called.

The vent unhinged, and I jumped back as it fell and clattered to the ground. I peered into the vent. A small, leafy-green creature stumbled out of the air vent. I reached out and caught the creature. Its body was soft and gelatinous. Its head was larger than its body, with a hook-shaped bottom section that looked like a tail. It opened its eyes and looked up at me with its single pupil. It had a red hexagon on its torso.

"A Pokémon...?" I mumbled.

 _"Help... me..."_

My eyes widened; the voice came from this creature. I smiled. "It's okay. You're safe now." I opened my jacket and carefully tucked the creature in my inside pocket. "Stay here and relax. I won't let anything bad happen to you."

I zipped up my jacket and headed to the end of the hallway. I entered the main room once more and looked around to make sure no one had seen me enter or leave.

A scream pierced the air, and I gasped.

"Mairin!" I called. I sprinted back into the stairwell. She wasn't where I had left her. I climbed back down to the main floor and looked around frantically.

"N!" I turned and saw Steven run towards me.

"Did you hear that?"

Steven nodded.

"Mr. Stone!" We looked up at Lysandre's assistant, who stood on the floor above. He climbed down the stairs and approached us. "Please, come with me."

"Where's Mairin?" I said.

The assistant adjusted his glasses. "Come with me."

He led us up the stairs to the second floor and down the hallway. Mairin leaned against a window.

"Mairin!" I called.

Mairin looked my way, and tears filled her eyes. "N! It's terrible! Something's happened to Chespie!"

"What?" I arrived at the window and peered inside. Chespie lay in a hospital bed. His body glowed neon green. A helmet and wires were attached to its body, transferring data to screens. Nurse Joy and her Wigglytuff analyzed the data.

"Mairin!" We looked down the hall and saw Professor Sycamore. "Are you all right?"

Mairin nodded, refusing to meet anyone's gaze. Nurse Joy stepped out of the room, holding a clipboard against her chest.

"Nurse Joy! How is Chespie?" Mairin said.

"Its life is not in danger, but I don't know the cause of its comatose state."

Mairin's eyes widened. "Coma... tose...?"

"I don't know how long it will be until it wakes. I'm sorry."

I knelt and placed my hands on Mairin's shoulders. "How did this happen?"

Mairin shook her head. Her shoulders trembled. "I-I don't know! I went to go look for Chespie after he wandered off, and I saw him being carted on a stretcher looking like that. I called to him, but he didn't answer." She reached out and gripped my collar. "Chespie's going to wake up, right?! He has to!"

Hot tears streamed down Mairin's face. She buried her head in my shoulder and sobbed wildly. I wrapped my arms tightly around her.

"We'll keep Chespin here and watch over it." I looked up at Lysandre as he approached. My gaze hardened. "There's no better place to receive medical help than Lysandre Labs."

"Explain how Chespin got hurt, then," I said.

"Excuse me?"

I gently pulled Mairin away, handed her to Professor Sycamore, and stood. "I find it hard to believe Chespin left this place, which means the cause behind its comatose state lies within your labs. If anyone is to blame, it's you. So..." I lifted my eyes and glared at Lysandre. "What have you done?"

"To think I had a personal hand in this is wildly unacceptable. My employees and I will look into this matter and look after Chespin." Lysandre's eyes narrowed. "I suggest we all keep a level head in this disaster. We don't want things to get any worse than they are now."

I clenched my fist. "Professor, keep an eye on Mairin," I said. I stepped past everyone and headed down the hall.

"Where are you going?" Professor Sycamore said.

I paused at the corner. "To talk to your former apprentice." I turned down the hallway. "Aegislash."

The Poké Ball around my neck opened, and Honedge emerged once more. It evolved into Aegislash.

"Find Alain."

Aegislash nodded and flew down the hallway. I followed calmly.

"Hey! Out of my way!" a voice shouted down the hall. I lifted my eyes to Alain, who stood in front of Aegislash. The path was blocked by its Protect. "Tell your Pokémon to let me through."

"Running away again?" I said. "Even after what's just happened?"

Alain scowled. "I'm _not_ running!"

"Then you should be back there with Mairin. She's your friend, and she needs you during this rough time." I narrowed my eyes. "Or is she still a burden to you?"

"You talk like you know anything about me, but you don't. I don't want to-"

"To put us in danger?" I clenched my fists. "You're going to keep using that pathetic excuse for everything? You keep saying what you're doing could put others in danger, but have you ever thought about how it's putting _you_ in danger?! You have _no_ idea what you've gotten yourself into! Lysandre is-"

" _Don't_ drag Lysandre into this! I'm tired of you making these ridiculous claims about him!"

"Ridiculous, huh?" I chuckled bitterly. "Aegislash, that's enough."

Aegislash dispelled the Protect and floated back to my side.

"When you decide to look for the truth, you'll see how 'ridiculous' my claims are." I turned and returned Aegislash to its Poké Ball. "Just don't be surprised when no one's there to save you. Goodbye, Alain."

I walked down the hall, leaving Alain behind. At a fork in the hallway, the creature inside my jacket pocket wriggled. I stopped in the middle of the fork, unzipped my jacket slightly, and peered inside.

"I hope you're comfortable," I said. The creature nodded. I smiled. "Good. Just sit there a little longer. I'll get you out of here-"

A mass slammed into my side, and I was launched down the hallway. I choked on the air in my throat as I hit the ground. I shielded my chest as I tumbled. A sharp pain ignited in my side, and I cried out and gripped my torso.

"Are you... okay?" I winced. The creature crawled up to the collar of my jacket and warbled curiously. I climbed to my feet and looked down the hallway.

"You have something that belongs to me."

I grit my teeth as Lysandre stood before me. Two women stood next to him, one on each side. One woman had purple hair styled in a pixie cut, and the other had short, spiked, green hair. Their eyes were shielded, the purple-haired woman with a thick visor and the green-haired woman with green goggles. They both wore orange suits with the Team Flare logo on the buckle of their belts and ties matching their hair color. A Drapion and Bisharp stood at their side. A handful of grunts stood behind with their Houndours and Sneasels.

"You've only yourself to blame. Perhaps if you had kept your mouth shut and minded your own business, you wouldn't be in this predicament," Lysandre said. "Now, hand over the Zygarde Core, Guardian."

"Zygarde... Core?" I looked at the tiny green creature, its eyes gazing thoughtfully at me. I scowled and stepped back on my foot. "So, it _is_ all your fault. Your speech back there was so moving, I almost believed your lies."

"I see you're not willing to cooperate." Lysandre closed his eyes. "Capture him."

"Yes, Lysandre," the women said.

I turned on my heel and sprinted down the hall. One hand clutched the Zygarde Core against my chest.

"Bisharp, use Stone Edge."

The ground under me rumbled, and I lunged out of the way as a glowing pillar of rock burst from the ground and slammed into the ceiling. Two more burst from the walls. I planted my hand on top and leapt over it. I landed in a somersault, scrambled back to my feet, and continued to run.

I turned the corner and gasped at the dead end. A window sat against the wall. The barks and hisses grew louder. I gritted my teeth and ran to the window. I yanked the window open and placed the Zygarde Core on the sill.

"Go, now! Before they catch you again!" I said.

The Zygarde Core looked out into the world, then back at me.

 _"What... about...?"_

I smiled. "I'll be fine." I reached up and took off my locket. "This is my locket, and my partner's in this Poké Ball. I don't want anything bad to happen to them." I opened the locket and showed the picture of my family to the Core. I pointed at Rylee. "This is my sister, Rylee. Find her and tell her you were sent by N. She'll protect you. I'll be right behind."

The Zygarde Core stared at the picture. It looked up at me again. I closed the locket and tied it around the creature's neck.

"Now, go!"

The Zygarde Core nodded, turned towards the outside world, and leaped from the window. I leaned my head out the window and watched the creature land in a bush and crawl out. It scurried away. I sighed in relief.

Boiling, stinging pain hit my back. I screamed as I slammed into the wall. My ears rang, and my vision grew fuzzy. My stomach churned, and the nausea raced up my throat. I collapsed on my knees and hit the ground. It took all my energy to clench my trembling fingers and look up.

"Unless you want the Toxic to spread faster, I suggest you stop resisting," the purple-haired woman said. "Grab him."

Two male grunts grabbed my arms and yanked me to my feet. The purple-haired woman leaned in close and grinned.

"Welcome to Lysandre Labs."

I groaned as the pain consumed me. My head slumped as I fell unconscious.

* * *

~TPPOV~

The wind ruffled through Articuno's feathers. Cilan looked at the ground below. His eyes settled on a small village as it came into view. He smiled and pointed at the village. Articuno nodded and dove towards the ground.

They glided low over the houses, and people paused and watched them pass by. Articuno landed in the center of the village. Cilan climbed off and petted Articuno's neck.

"I remember you." Cilan turned to the Elder as she slowly approached.

"Elder." Cilan bowed.

"How long has it been since you and your friends visited our village?"

"Two years, ma'am."

"My, how time passes. You're here to see Iris, yes?"

"Yes."

The Elder smiled. "She's told me she saw you. She's been expecting you since then."

Cilan's posture straightened. "Saw me?"

The Elder turned. "This way, please."

Cilan nodded, and he and Articuno followed the woman. They arrived at the sanctuary. The Elder climbed up the small set of steps and nodded to the people standing at the curtain doors. They bowed and pulled open the curtains.

Iris stepped outside, and Cilan's eyes widened.

" _Iris_?" he said.

Iris smiled. "It's nice to see you again, Cilan."

Cilan examined the young girl's cream, brown, and orange shrine maiden robes. What caught his attention more were the golden encryptions wrapped around her pupils.

"What happened to you?"

Iris sighed, disturbing the headpiece resting against her forehead. The tiny gems clinked softly against each other. "That's the first thing you say to me?" She climbed down the stairs, past Cilan, and approached Articuno. Articuno bowed her head, and Iris stroked it. "I was expecting something a little more emotionally impacting."

"Sorry..." Cilan rubbed the back of his neck. Haxorus circled around the sanctuary, and Cilan's jaw dropped. "Your Axew evolved into its final evolution form?"

Iris nodded. "It took a while, what with having to balance my duties and such."

"Duties?" Cilan chuckled. "Do you mind explaining some things to me so I'm not so confused?"

"Well, to simplify it, right after I came home from our journey, Zekrom appeared to me and bestowed me with its blessing. It's given me a special bond with Dragon-type Pokémon, and I've used my visions to help the villagers."

"Visions? So, when the Elder said you 'saw me'..."

"Mm-hm. I had a vision of you coming to the village. Prior to that... I had a vision of Rylee and Ash."

"What was the vision of them about?"

"I saw them fighting against these people dressed like flames. Upon seeing them, Rylee said, 'This is my mission'. Just a few days ago, I had an unusual vision. All I saw was a shadow and green flames."

Cilan cupped his chin in his hand. Iris glanced over her shoulder.

"It's connected to why you came here, right?" she said. Cilan nodded. She turned to Cilan, clapped her hands together, and smiled. "Shall we get going, then?"

Cilan perked up. "R-Really? Are you sure? Aren't you needed by the villagers?"

"The Elder will watch over them. She's much more experienced at it than I am. Besides," Iris clenched her fists against her heart, her eyes shimmering, "I've been itching to go on another adventure."

Cilan smiled and nodded. "Me, too."

Iris reached into her sleeve and pulled out a Poké Ball. She turned to Haxorus.

"Ready to go?" she said. Haxorus nodded and pushed the button with its snout, returning to its Poké Ball. Iris tucked the Poké Ball away. She bowed to the Elder.

Articuno lowered her body, and Cilan climbed on. He reached a hand out to Iris, and she took it and climbed on behind him. Articuno spread out her wings and lifted into the sky. The Elder and nearby villagers waved as they flew away.

"All right, Articuno," Cilan called over the wind, "to the Kalos region."

* * *

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

 **Finally, the XY &Z arc begins next chapter. I've been looking forward to this for quite a while now, and I hope you guys are as excited as I am!  
**

 **Stay tuned!**


	57. Easy as 1, 2, Z

I stretched my arms over my head. The sun poked through the branches of the forest, dotting the ground with patches of light.

"How much longer until we reach the Pokémon Center?" I said.

Serena showed me her Town Map. "It's just past this forest. If we keep following this path, we'll be there soon."

"Great."

"It _would_ be great if we could focus on getting to our destination," Clemont said, shooting a pointed glare at Bonnie. She, Dedenne, and Pikachu leaped into a pile of leaves they gathered. "Bonnie, we're wasting time."

"Oh, come on, Clemont," Bonnie mumbled into the pile of leaves. She rolled over onto her back and swept her arms and legs around, creating a leaf angel. "Sometimes you've got to stop and smell the roses."

"We've been smelling the roses for the past few days."

"Clemont's right," Ash said. "There's still a long way to go before we reach Snowbelle City."

Bonnie sighed. "You guys are so uncool."

Clemont sweatdropped. "I can be cool…"

" _The last time you were 'cool', it was from the water we used to put out your smoking hair because your latest invention exploded,_ " Zoroark said. Clemont shot a glare. I chuckled and held up my hands in defense.

"When are you going to learn to be nicer to people?" I said.

" _Me being nice is like Clemont being cool; doesn't happen very often, and it leaves as quickly as it comes._ "

A vein throbbed on Clemont's forehead. I sighed. "Sorry…"

"It's fine," he said. "I've put up with her for this long." He turned to Bonnie. "Grab your bag and let's get going."

Bonnie hovered over the rock her satchel sat on. She peered inside.

"Bonnie?"

"Um…" She glanced back at us. "There's something in my bag."

We peered over Bonnie and into her bag. A small, green blob lay curled at the bottom. It shifted and lifted its head. Its single eye widened when it saw us.

"Is this a Pokémon?" Serena said. "I've never seen anything like it before."

"Maybe the new Pokédex Professor Sycamore gave us can tell us," Ash said. He pulled out his new Pokédex and hovered it in front of the blob. Ash raised an eyebrow. "Huh… even the Pokédex doesn't know."

"Maybe it's an undiscovered Pokémon," Clemont said.

 _"Ah! It's you!"_

The blob's eye was on me. It hopped out of Bonnie's bag. Something hung around its neck. My eyes widened, and I knelt at the rock's level.

"That's…" I gasped. I reached out and removed the locket hanging around the creature's neck.

"Is that… N's locket?" Ash said.

I cupped the locket in my hand. A Poké Ball rested next to it.

 _"Rylee. That's your name, right?"_ I looked at the creature. The voice was coming from it. _"He told me to find you. He said you would protect me."_

"N?" I said. The creature nodded. "Where is he? What's happened?"

"Is it talking to you?" Bonnie said.

I nodded. "I can't seem to broadcast its voice, though… Where's my brother?"

 _"He rescued me from an awful place... We were chased… He opened the path that allowed me to escape…"_ the creature said.

"Where is this place?"

 _"I don't know… I just ran. I'm sorry."_

"No… it's fine." I looked at N's locket. _N…_ My fingers closed around the locket.

"So, what kind of Pokémon are you?" Bonnie said. She picked up the creature, which thrashed between her fingers. She laid her palms together, and it whirled around and glared at her. "What's your name? Mine's Bonnie!"

 _"I don't… have a name,"_ it said. To everyone else, the creature's voice was nothing but a warble.

"It says it doesn't have a name," I said.

"Really?" Bonnie's eyes lit up. "I'll give you a name, then! You'll be sticking around after all."

"Sticking around? I don't know about that, Bonnie," Clemont said.

"It'll stay," I said. I stood up. "I'll look after it. This is what N wants me to do, and I won't treat this lightly." I reached back and clipped on N's locket. The two charms sat next to each other, and I rested my hand over them. "I think I know who did this."

Bonnie reached up and tugged on my sleeve. "Can I give it a name?"

I chuckled. "Sure, go ahead."

Bonnie smiled and examined the creature. She poked it in the belly, and it warbled in protest.

"It's like I'm holding a glob of jello," Bonnie giggled. "It's awfully squishy, too… That's it! How about Squishy?"

"And you make fun of _me_ for describing my inventions," Clemont said.

"Do you like that name?" Squishy squirmed in her palms. Bonnie grinned. "Okay! Your name is now Squishy! It's nice to meet you."

Squishy tilted its head curiously. Behind us, the shrubbery trembled. We looked down the path. A herd of Dodrio burst from the trees and sprinted towards us. I grabbed Bonnie, and we all leaped out of the way. The Dodrio cawed wildly as they passed.

I noticed Squishy had disappeared from Bonnie's grip. I looked around and spotted it as it scurried into a bush. I glanced back at my friends, who were all distracted from the rampaging Dodrio, and followed Squishy.

"Where are you going?" I called. Squishy glanced back at me and kept moving. "At least talk to me."

 _"I'm looking for something,"_ Squishy said.

"What?"

 _"Can you understand it at all?"_ Zoroark said. _"I get bits and pieces, but most of it is just mumbling."_

I nodded. We left the forest and entered a rocky canyon. We started to climb up a path spiraling around a large hill. "Squishy, if you can stop for a moment, I want to try and see if I can tap into your memories. I want to know what happened to N…"

Squishy froze in place. The air became occupied. I looked up and saw we were surrounded by Houndours and Skorupis.

My eyes widened. The people standing at the Pokémon's side were all dressed the same. They wore red suits with white button-up shirts and black ties. Their red hair was slicked back with tufts styled like flames; the males had one flame while the females had two. Their eyes were hidden behind red sunglasses. On the buckles of their belts, they had a flame insignia.

"Did you make a friend while you were away, Z?" I turned and saw a woman standing on higher ground than the others. Her hair was purple, and she had a matching tie and lipstick. She wore a visor instead of glasses. A Drapion stood at her side. "Listen here, girl, that creature belongs to us. Would you mind giving it back?"

My fingers balled into tight fists. I gritted my teeth.

"When an adult asks you a question, it's rude to not answer," the woman said. "I guess I'll take your silence as a yes. Drapion, use Pin Missile."

Drapion launched Pin Missile. I grabbed Squishy and leaped into the air. The dozens of pairs of eyes followed me in surprise. I tossed Squishy into the air and encased it in Protect; it hung high above everyone. With a cry, I thrust out my hand and launched Hyper Beam. The woman's Drapion grabbed her with its claws and jumped away. The Hyper Beam hit the rock, and it shattered into large pieces.

I fell back to the ground, Squishy falling with me. I reached up, caught it, and held it against my torso. The grunts around me gasped collectively. I looked up at the purple-haired woman with flared eyes.

"You're a strong one," the woman said. Her grunts gathered behind her. She placed a hand on her hip. "I take it you know who we are?"

"…Team Flare," I hissed.

The woman smiled. "That thing you're holding isn't something you should take lightly. It may be small, but you have no idea of the power it has. We're only trying to study it."

"That's a lie! What kind of organization that's 'only trying to study' would attack an innocent bystander or their subject to get them to cooperate? You crime syndicates are all the same."

"Crime syndicate? That's a bit harsh."

"And yet, it's the truest thing that's been said."

"Hmph. Drapion, use Toxic."

Drapion opened its mouth and launch a thick blob of boiling, purple liquid.

"Honedge." I reached my hand across my body as the Poké Ball hanging on my necklace opened. I closed my fingers around the handle and swiped. Honedge's blade cut through the Toxic, making it splatter on the ground behind me. My eyes felt incredibly hot.

"Rylee!" I blinked and looked behind me. My friends hurried up the rocky path. They eyed the Toxic on the ground and stopped behind me.

"Who are those people?" Bonnie said.

"That's them, isn't it?" Clemont said. His fingers tightened around his backpack straps. "Team Flare."

"Are these your friends?" the purple-haired woman said. "They're so cute. It'd be a shame if something bad happened to them."

I gritted my teeth. Ash pulled out a Poké Ball and stepped forward. I reached my arm out to stop him. I glanced back at him and the others.

"This is my mission," I said. I turned back to Team Flare, and my eyes glowed.

The purple-haired woman grinned. "Mission, huh? Let me guess- you're one of those Pokémon Guardians. You know, I met one recently. He didn't put up a fight. That green-haired freak is the reason Z escaped in the first place."

My eyes widened. My fingers tightened around Honedge, and I lunged.

"Rylee!" Clemont called.

"Sludge Bomb."

Drapion opened its mouth and launched a thick ball of sludge. A ball of AncientPower formed in front of me and fired. The ball of energy hit the Sludge Bomb and canceled it out. Through the smoke, I slammed Honedge into Drapion. It launched back and fell into a group of Houndour. I craned my head towards the woman, who kept a stoic face.

"Where… is my… brother?!" I cried.

The woman didn't respond. My fingers trembled from how tightly I held Honedge.

"Answer me!"

I moved to lunge again. A Shadow Ball struck the ground between us, kicking up a thick haze of dust. A pair of furry arms wrapped around me and threw me other the shoulder attached. Honedge was pulled from my grip.

"H-Hey!" I cried. Zoroark jumped out of the dust cloud and jogged to the others.

" _Let's move,_ " Zoroark said. The others nodded, and we ran back to the forest.

"Put me down!" I thrashed around, but Zoroark kept a firm grip.

We entered the forest and stopped in a small meadow. Zoroark set me down.

"What are you doing?!" I said.

" _What are_ you _doing?_ " Zoroark said.

"You heard what she said; Team Flare has N! I have to go back and-"

" _And what? Beat them senseless and get zero answers?_ "

I clenched my fist. "I wasn't going to-"

" _You think I wouldn't recognize that look in your eye? You have it right now. If I hadn't stopped you, who knows what you could have done?_ "

"What am I supposed to do, then?!"

Fingers closed around mine. I whipped my head and met Clemont's gaze.

"Focus on what you've accomplished right now," he said. "You've finally encountered Team Flare. We have something that prevents them from furthering whatever their plan is."

I remembered the gelatinous creature nestled in my hand. I held my hand up and looked at Squishy. It wiggled and warbled. I closed my eyes and felt them cool.

"But, N…" I said.

" _N can hold his own. We need to do our part, and we'll do it as efficiently as we can,_ " Zoroark said.

I sighed. I opened my eyes and crouched in front of Bonnie.

"Here," I said. I held out Squishy.

Bonnie gazed at Squishy. "Is it really okay?"

I nodded. Squishy glanced up at me. "Bonnie's really good at taking care of others. You'll be fine with her." Squishy, after a few moments, hopped onto Bonnie's outstretched hand. "You'll help me look after Squishy, right? This is more than taking care of a Pokémon. I'll need your help in keeping it out of harm's way."

Bonnie smiled and nodded. "You can count on me!"

I smiled and stood up. "Thank you."

Clemont looked up at the sky, which started to show signs of turning orange. "If we move now, we should make it to the Pokémon Center before it gets too dark."

We nodded. Zoroark transformed into a Zorua and perched on my shoulder.

* * *

"Please, enjoy your stay!" Nurse Joy said before closing the door behind her.

"Thanks, Nurse Joy," we called.

Serena sighed and collapsed on a bed. "I'm exhausted," she said.

"Hey, Squishy, are you hungry?" Bonnie said. "Let's go to the cafeteria and get something to eat!"

With Squishy in her arms, Bonnie scurried out of the room.

"Make sure you come right back after eating," Clemont called.

"Okay!" Bonnie closed the door behind her.

"So, what was this mission you mentioned earlier?" Serena sat up.

"It's part of my job. I was sent to Kalos to keep an eye on Team Flare and stop whatever their plan is," I said. "It definitely took them a while."

"I wonder why they want Squishy."

"The woman said that despite its appearance, Squishy is incredibly powerful. They had been 'studying' it for some time, at least before N set it free. They keep calling it 'Z', which could be a clue to what it actually is."

"Well, if they ever try something again, we'll stop them," Ash grinned. Serena nodded enthusiastically. I looked away. "Come on, don't try and keep up your "It's my mission" bit. Whether you like it or not, we're going to help. We don't want Team Flare to do anything bad, either."

"Of course I know that. Besides, trying to keep you guys out of it would be more draining than the situation itself," I said. "Thanks for putting up with me and my business."

"It's no problem, really," Clemont said. He smiled. "It's actually a lot of fun."

I smiled.

* * *

Something soft bounced against my stomach.

 _"Wake up! Wake up!"_ a voice cried.

I groaned and peeled open my eyes. I looked and saw Squishy jumping on me.

"What is it?" I mumbled.

 _"They are here! They are coming!"_ Squishy said. It hopped on my chest and leaned closer in my face.

"Huh?" My eyes widened, and I sat up straight. Squishy tumbled into my lap. "You mean Team Flare? How do you know?"

 _"I saw them! We must hurry!"_ Squishy gasped and looked to the window.

I followed Squishy's gaze and peered out the window. My eyes flew wide open as I saw streams of Pin Missile fly towards the window. I grabbed Squishy and leaped off the bed. Zoroark and Sylveon, who slept next to me, jolted awake and toppled off the bed. My feet planted against the ground, and I thrust out my hand. A slab of Protect formed right as the Pin Missiles cut through the window, shattering the glass and the windowsill. My friends awoke and screamed. Most of the Pin Missiles hit the Protect, while some slipped through and left gaping holes in the walls and ceiling.

I swung my arm back down to my side and looked out the window. In the darkness, I saw the bright red of Team Flare's uniforms.

"Get up!" I called. My friends, however, were already ahead of me. I summoned a square slab of Protect and shoved it through the window, clearing it of jagged glass. I planted my hand against the windowsill and leaped through the hole. My friends climbed out of the window and stood at my side.

"There you are," the purple-haired woman said. Three male grunts stood behind her, with two Houndours and a Skorupi. "I hope we didn't wake you. It's very important that kids get a full night's rest. If you give us Z, you can crawl back into your beds and return to your sweet dreams."

"We're not giving you Squishy!" Bonnie said.

"Squishy?" The woman snorted. "Is that the name you gave it? That's cute. It makes me feel bad that I'll have to take it by force."

The purple-haired woman snapped her fingers.

"Dark Pulse!" the grunts cried.

The Houndours and Skorupi opened their mouths, and beams of dark energy fired at us.

"Braixen, Flamethrower!"

"Frogadier, Water Pulse!"

"Luxray, Swift!"

My friends threw Poké Balls in the air, and their Pokémon attacked. Their moves canceled out the triple Dark Pulse, kicking up a cloud of smoke.

"Cross Poison!"

"Zoroark, use Night Daze!"

Zoroark transformed into her true self and glowed with dark energy. She slammed her fists into the ground, and a wave of dark energy burst from her. It blew the smoke away, and it halted the Cross Poison mid-flight.

"Sylveon, use Fairy Wind!"

Sylveon scurried past me. Zoroark reared back her arm, and Sylveon jumped onto it. Zoroark thrust her arm up, and Sylveon launched into the air. She swirled her ribbons and created a tornado of pink wind.

A smile curled on the purple-haired woman's lips. The Fairy Wind hit, disturbing the Houndours and Skorupi. Drapion, however, didn't seem bothered by it at all.

"Jump and use Cross Poison!"

Drapion pivoted its feet in the ground, crouched, and leaped into the air. I gasped.

 _Drapion can jump that high?!_ "Sylveon!"

Drapion sliced its claws in an X. The poisonous sludge burst from its claws and hit Sylveon, launching her into the ground. Drapion landed back at its Trainer's side. I raced over to Sylveon.

"Sylveon!" I knelt and scooped her into my arms. She was knocked unconscious. Her ribbons drooped against my arms and dangled. A cold sweat had broken on her forehead; she was terribly poisoned. I gritted my teeth. Squishy warbled quietly.

"Poison-types are super effective against Fairy-types," the woman said. "I'm disappointed that you let something that crucial slip your mind. Use Pin Missile."

I looked up as Drapion fired another barrage of grass energy. Grabbing Squishy and holding it and Sylveon close to me, I turned my back towards the attack.

"Luxray, use Swift!"

A rain of stars collided with the Pin Missiles and canceled them out. Drapion and its Trainer turned to Clemont, Serena, and Ash. I panted quietly.

Squishy squirmed from my fingers and landed on the ground. It scurried away and into the trees.

"Squishy!" I called.

"After it," the woman said.

The grunts, the woman, and their Pokémon ran after Squishy.

"We'll find Squishy first," Ash said. "Leave it to us, Rylee. Take Sylveon to Nurse Joy."

I climbed to my feet and nodded. I watched my friends disappear into the trees. Zoroark stepped to my side, and we turned and jogged around to the front of the Pokémon Center.

* * *

Consciousness returned, and something warm rested in my lap. I slowly opened my eyes and looked to see Sylveon asleep on my legs. Quiet warbling tickled my ear, and I turned my head and saw Squishy resting on the windowsill. The sun had just risen.

"You're awake." I looked at Bonnie, who was the only other one awake. Everyone else slept on the chairs and couches around us. "You had fallen asleep by the time we came back with Squishy."

"Why didn't you wake me?" I said.

Bonnie smiled. "You looked so peaceful; I'd feel bad if I had to wake you after what happened."

"What happened with Team Flare?"

"While we were looking for Squishy, there was a big explosion. After that, I saw a strange beam of green light in the sky. We followed it and found Squishy, and Team Flare was nowhere to be seen. Squishy was injured, so we brought it to Nurse Joy, and she took care of it and Squishy."

"A beam of green light?" I looked at Squishy as it snored softly. I looked back at Bonnie and smiled. "Thank you, Bonnie. I know Squishy can rely on you."

Bonnie grinned. "I don't know what this Team Flare wants, but… if it means hurting Squishy, then I'm not going to let them get away with it."

I chuckled and patted Bonnie's head. "Me neither. So, let's do our best, okay?"

"Okay!"


	58. Daydreamin'

"Think we'll get to see some shooting stars?" Ash thrust out his arms and snapped his wrists, and his sleeping bag followed and lay neatly in the grass.

"I hope so!" Bonnie said.

"I'm glad Nurse Joy let us know about the meteor shower at the last Pokémon Center," Serena said. "This is the perfect spot to watch it!"

I smoothed out my sleeping bag and sat back on my knees. I looked up at the open sky. During our trek through the forest, we found an open meadow patch, with no trees to block the sky. The stars shimmered gently, and streams of clouds rolled by.

"You know, if you make a wish on a star, it's said to come true," Serena said to Bonnie.

"Really? What are you going to wish for?"

"I can't say that. If you tell someone your wish, then it won't come true."

"Oh." Bonnie crawled into her sleeping bag and stared at the sky. "How much longer do we have to wait?"

"Not long, I hope. Keep an eye on the sky while we finish setting up."

Bonnie nodded enthusiastically. We finished setting up the rest of our camping gear and climbed into our sleeping bags. Nestled between Clemont and Serena, I rested my hands underneath my head. A tiny breeze swept through and caressed my arms. Zoroark and Sylveon rested together above my head. Bonnie squirmed in her sleeping bag.

"Any moment now," Clemont assured.

Serena gasped, and she pointed her finger at the sky. "I saw one! A shooting star!"

"Where?! Where?!" Ash frantically searched the sky.

"Look!"

A stream of stars, one after another, fell across the sky. Bonnie and Serena jumped out of their sleeping bags.

"Make a wish!" Serena said. She and Bonnie clasped their hands tightly in front of them.

I sat up in my sleeping bag and watched the stars fall.

"You're not going to make a wish?" Clemont said. "There's got to be _something_ you'd like to come true."

I chuckled. "I'm enjoying your guys' excitement," I said. "Did you make a wish?"

Clemont nodded. "I did."

"What is it?"

"It's a secret."

"Huh? Come on, I want to know."

"I can't tell you or else it won't come true… And…" Clemont looked at the sky. "I'd _really_ like for this wish to come true."

I sighed in pretend frustration and returned my eyes to the sky. Bonnie mumbled her wishes, and it continued for several minutes. I stretched my arms over my head.

"All right, that's enough wishing for tonight," I said. "Let's all get some sleep so we'll have the energy to travel some more tomorrow."

Serena and Bonnie lay down once more in their sleeping bags, this time zipping up the sides so it would help them stay there. We all laid back.

Something plopped in my hand, and I opened my eyes and saw Squishy sitting in my palm. I gave it a small smile.

"You get some sleep, too," I said. Carefully, I lifted my hand over my head and placed Squishy with Sylveon and Zoroark, who had already drifted to sleep. I curled my arms close to my body and closed my eyes.

* * *

When consciousness returned, the bright, blue morning sky glowed behind my eyelids. I opened my eyes and yawned. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. I looked around me and saw my friends were still asleep. Pikachu, however, was missing. I glanced over my shoulder at Sylveon and Zoroark, and I also noticed Squishy was gone.

 _Uh, oh._

I stood, and I blinked in confusion as I was still close to the ground. I looked down and cried out at the sight of my tiny, green body. I looked at my hands, tiny and three-fingered.

 _I'm… in my Pokémon form?_ I walked over to the small tent set up, where our luggage was housed, and opened Serena's makeup bag. The top opened, revealing a mirror fastened to it. My purple eyes stared back at me. Sure enough, I was a Celebi.

I hopped in the air to fly, but my feet hit the ground. Confused, I looked behind me and at my wings. They fluttered as usual. I jumped again, hovering above the ground for a few moments, before I fell again, this time landing on my bottom. I winced and stood up.

 _Okay… something's wrong here._ Remembering Pikachu and Squishy were gone, I looked around the campsite.

In the distance, I heard screams. I perked and turned my head in the direction it came from. Glancing back at my fluttering, yet useless wings, I sighed and jogged towards the commotion. Only two feet tall, the distance I covered was a lot smaller, the equivalent of a brisk walk in my human form.

"You heard them, too?" I stopped and looked around in search of the voice that spoke. I heard rustling next to me, and I looked to the grass. It parted, and Squishy poked its head out. "It is you, isn't it, Rylee?"

" _You recognized me?_ " I said. I reeled back as I realized Squishy _spoke_. " _Since when have you been able to talk?!_ "

"I have always been able to speak," Squishy said. "It is simply incomprehensible to humans."

" _That's not what I…_ " I sighed. " _Never mind. Yes, I heard that scream._ "

"We must hurry to their aid."

I nodded. Our height difference wasn't so drastic while I was in this form; the top of Squishy's head came to my hips. Together, we scurried down the path. A little further down the way, we saw Pikachu standing with Meowth from Team Rocket.

" _Pikachu!_ " I called. Pikachu's ears twitched, and he turned in our direction.

" _Rylee?_ " he said. " _How come you're a Pokémon?_ "

I shook my head. " _I have no idea; I woke up like this._ "

"So, the Pokémon twerpette came to save us?" Meowth said.

" _We heard screaming. Of course we came to investigate._ "

" _We_?" Pikachu looked behind me and saw Squishy. " _Oh, Squishy._ "

"Greetings, friends," Squishy said.

Pikachu stared at Squishy. " _I'm… not the only one who heard that, right?_ "

" _No_ _,_ " I said.

"We mustn't stand around here," Squishy said. "We are being chased."

"Chased?" Meowth said. "What are you talkin' about?"

From within the forest, the air glowed bright orange. Heat traveled to where we were and hit our faces.

"It is here!" Squishy said. "We must run!"

" _What's here? What are you talking about?_ " I said.

A creature burst through the trees; a large ball of fire with a thin, snake-like body, wide, slanted eyes, and a wicked grin. Meowth screamed. The creature of fire inhaled deeply and spewed fire at us. I thrust my hand out to use Protect, but nothing happened.

" _...Huh_?" I said. Pikachu swung his tail, knocking it into me, and jumped back. I fell to the side as the fire flew over us. I scrambled to my feet. I thrust my hand again, expecting a Hyper Beam; again, nothing. " _Why can't I use my moves?_ "

The creature spewed fire again, and we jumped out of the way. We turned and sprinted down the path. Squishy bounced on Pikachu's back. The creature slithered after us.

"I-It's following us!" Meowth cried. "It's catching up!"

"Hurry! Faster!" Squishy said.

We pushed ourselves to run faster. The creature spewed more fire. Meowth jumped to dodge it, but some of the fire splashed onto his tail. Meowth screamed, and he rocketed ahead of us. We followed Meowth to the end of the path, where there was a river. Without thinking, Meowth cannonballed into the water. His head emerged, and he sighed in relief.

"Follow his lead," Squishy said. "The creature cannot touch us in there."

Pikachu and I looked over our shoulders and at the creature of fire, which quickly approached. We ran into the water and started to swim across. We reached the other side and, without looking back, ran again. The heat on the back of our necks faded. We stopped to catch our breath.

" _Is it… still… behind us?_ " Pikachu said.

"No. It is gone for now." Squishy hopped off Pikachu's back and onto a rock. "Well done."

" _What_ was _that thing?_ " I said. " _It… kind of looked like you_."

"You had time to notice that?" Meowth said, flat on his back. His chest rose and fell heavily.

"We do not know what it is, but it is chasing us. It wishes to capture us. Something is coming. Something bad is going to happen." Squishy lifted its eyes to us. "We ask that you help us."

"What the heck are you _talking_ about?" Meowth said.

" _Team Flare? Is that it?_ " I said.

"Kalos is in grave danger. We are in grave danger."

" _We? Us? Who are you referring to?_ "

" _I don't know what's going on…_ " Pikachu mumbled.

"Please, place your hands on us," Squishy said.

Meowth, Pikachu, and I looked at each other. Slowly, we each raised a hand and placed them on Squishy's head. Squishy closed its eyes, and it glowed brightly.

Images flooded our minds, filling our thoughts with green. A large shadow rose, its eyes glowing bright green. A deep, piercing scream exploded in our ears.

* * *

The next thing I knew, my eyes popped open, and I shot up in my sleeping bag. A gasp escaped my lips, loud enough that it stirred my friends. I looked down, and relief flooded through me at the sight of human hands.

 _It was all a dream..._ I sighed. _That explains it…_

At the same time, Pikachu was screaming. He thrashed around, smacking his paws and tail against Ash's shoulder and face.

"Whoa, hey," Ash said. He grabbed Pikachu and held him in his lap. Pikachu's eyes opened, and he looked around. "What's wrong, Pikachu?"

" _Huh…?_ " Pikachu said. He turned, and our eyes met.

"Did you two have a nightmare?" Clemont said.

I sat up straight as I remembered the final image Squishy showed us. I looked behind me.

"Squishy's gone," I said.

"Huh?" My friends looked to where I had placed Squishy, only to also see it wasn't there.

"Oh, no, did it run off again?" Bonnie said. She crawled out of her sleeping bag. "We've got to go look for it!"

"I'll go with you, Bonnie," Serena said. "Stay close to me; it's too dark to go alone."

Bonnie and Serena hurried into the forest one way, their Pokémon following close behind.

"We'll go that way," Ash said, and he and Clemont went off another way.

I turned to Sylveon and Zoroark, who were already up on their feet. "Let's go."

The three of us ran a different way than the others. We arrived at a tangle of shrubbery, and I placed my hands on them and pushed them aside. I wiggled through.

Nighttime had disappeared. I paused and looked around. Zoroark and Sylveon were no longer at my side.

"What in the…?" I pondered aloud. I wasn't in the forest anymore; I was in a town. People walked past me, not even acknowledging my presence. I took a step and felt something brush against my legs. I looked down, and my eyes widened. Instead of my pajamas, I wore a purple dress, black knee-high socks, and tan boots; my old outfit while traveling through Unova.

I looked up and at the people, carefree and happy. Putting one foot in front of the other, I slowly walked down the sidewalk. I didn't recognize this city; I don't think I visited it during my Unova or Kalos journey. A small group of girls slightly younger than me giggled as they skipped by. I watched them approach a large building. Pillars lined the outside, and it had a glass topped roof. They disappeared through the doors. Curious, I found myself following them.

The room was clustered with tables, each adorned with long, white tablecloths and simple centerpieces. Nearly all the tables were filled with young girls, whispering as their eyes were all focused on one thing. I followed their eyes, and mine widened.

"Welcome." Chili wore a smile as he approached me. A white cloth was draped over his arm as it hovered in front of his torso. "Are you looking to dine with us today?"

It was odd hearing him be cool, collected, and… _nice_.

 _Is this another dream? It must be. He would have recognized me._ Subconsciously, my eyes searched the café. Crest stood before a table in the corner of the restaurant, discussing tea options with a trio of girls.

"Um… is Cilan here?" The words spilled from my mouth, out of my control and without my permission. I reached up and covered a hand over it.

"I'm sorry, but he's currently away," Chili said.

I straightened. "Away? Where did he go?"

Chili let out a melodious chuckle. Occupants of nearby tables turned their heads. "Personal business. He went to visit an old acquaintance; that's all I can say."

I gave him a blank stare. His dazzling smile, while making the hearts of others melt, annoyed me.

"Now, may I escort you to a table?"

"…No, thanks. Maybe another time…" I slowly stepped back, turned, and headed out the doors. Closing them behind me, I sighed and climbed down the stairs. Another group of girls passed by me on their way indoors. At the bottom of the stairs, I looked back at the building.

 _An old acquaintance?_ I thought. _Who?_

I stepped and face forward, and my foot snagged on something. I stumbled forward and fell. I grunted as I hit the ground, and I winced. The ground beneath me felt soft and light, but it clung to my skin. I opened my eyes and saw a layer of ash underneath me. I sat up and looked around, my eyes widening as I looked at the patch of land I sat in. There were few trees around me, and they were reduced to stiff, fragile, charred rods protruding from the ground. I had tripped on a burned root, and the force of my trip caused it to snap. The ash smothered the grass, coating the ground in a layer of gray and black. I stood up and dusted the ash off my clothes. I was back in my pajamas- more importantly, I was still human.

"You are here, too." I turned and saw Meowth, Pikachu, and Squishy approach us. The voice had come from Squishy.

"This is still a dream," I said, half to inform the others and half to assure myself. "What happened here?"

"This is what will happen if they are not stopped. Destruction awaits Kalos if idleness occurs."

Squishy hopped off Pikachu's back and onto the ash. Closing its eyes, it glowed bright green. A wave of green pulsed from its body, rippling across the ground and stretching beyond our sight. The grass returned. The trees revived and multiplied. In a matter of seconds, the meadow had returned, healthier and more luscious than before.

" _What_ is going on?" Meowth said.

"We must hurry," Squishy said. He climbed on Pikachu's back again. "That thing is still pursuing us."

"You mean that big, scary ball of fire from before?"

"Yes. We must leave now."

Obeying Squishy's command, not wanting to run into that monster again, we ran through the meadow. We found a dirt path and followed it.

" _That vision you showed us before,_ " Pikachu said. " _That was you, right?_ "

"It was us," Squishy said. "We cannot hope to take on that form until we have returned home. Once we have returned, they will not harm us."

"Where is your home?" I said.

"That way." Squishy looked forward.

The forest before us glowed orange. We entered, and a familiar wave of heat hit us. The creature of fire stood before us, its grin open and wide.

"We have no choice; we must fight it," Squishy said.

" _Fight_ it?!" Meowth said. "We don't even know what that thing is! How can we fight something we don't know?!"

"It is the only way! Help is on the way. We must do what we can in this moment. Rylee!" Squishy turned to me. "Ensnare the creature!"

I raised my hand, and a small ball of AncientPower hovered in my palm.

" _Now_ I can use moves," I said. Planting my feet firmly on the ground, I clapped my hands together. A large ball of Protect formed around the creature, trapping it inside. The creature thrashed in the ball, the flames lapping against the sides. My hands grew hot, and the back of my neck started to sweat. I pressed my trembling, slippery fingers tighter together.

"They are here! Step aside!" Squishy said.

The ground underneath us rumbled, and I looked over me. Something big and bright zoomed towards us. Releasing my hands and dispelling the Protect, we all jumped into the trees. A colossal beam of white energy burst into the forest and consumed the creature of fire. The energy ceased, and the creature was gone. The trees and greenery were left unharmed.

"You did it," Squishy said. "Excellent work."

" _What was that help?_ " Pikachu said.

"Our allies- yours and mine."

I turned to where the creature once stood. As I moved to approach the spot, something clamped down on my wrist. I was yanked back.

"Hello _?!_ " Zoroark's voice hissed in my ears. " _Earth to Rylee!_ "

I blinked several times and took in my surroundings. It was still daylight, but it was early morning. The sun had risen about an hour ago. A few feet before me was a cliff with a river at the bottom. Zoroark, in her true form, kept a firm grasp on my wrist, a deep scowl on her face. Sylveon gazed at me in worry.

"What… happened?" I said.

" _You started sleepwalking. We tried calling your name, but you couldn't hear us,_ " Sylveon said.

" _I had to do something before you got yourself killed,_ " Zoroark said.

"Um… Sorry…" I said, rubbing the back of my neck. It felt warm.

" _We've been trying to tell you that they found Squishy._ "

"They did? Oh, good." I sighed.

Then, I recalled my dreams: Squishy and its cryptic words, the creature, the beam of energy, and the café. I looked at Zoroark and Sylveon.

 _What does it all mean?_

It all boiled down to one of Squishy's messages: _"Kalos is in grave danger. We are in grave danger."_

My arm fell back to my side, and I slipped out of Zoroark's grip. "Come on, let's head back." I stepped past them and started down the path. Zoroark's weight rested on my shoulder, and Sylveon's quiet footsteps padded beside me. A stoic expression fell on my face.

 _Team Flare…_ I thought. I clenched and unclenched my fists. _Just what are you planning to do?_


	59. Hiding Away

I carefully stirred the pot of steaming chowder sitting before me. The fire cooking the soup warmed my legs.

"How does that look?" I said, turning to Clemont, who almost finished making our sandwiches.

Clemont stepped away from his cooking station and peered into the pot. I offered him the ladle, and he stirred it a couple times.

"Looks great!" Clemont grabbed a small spoon and tasted the chowder. "It needs a pinch more seasoning, and it will be perfect! Not bad for your first time cooking a dish by yourself."

"Thanks," I said. I grabbed the salt and pepper shakers sitting nearby. "I've learned quite a bit from watching people."

Zoroark inhaled the fragrance deeply, and her mouth watered. " _If I transform into a human, can I have some?_ " she said.

I rolled my eyes. On my other shoulder, Squishy's gaze shifted often between us and parts of the scenery. I sprinkled a light layer of salt and pepper into the pot and stirred a few more times to let it dissolve and mix.

"How much longer until lunch is ready?" Ash said.

I glanced at Clemont's station, right as he finished setting the finished sandwiches on a plate. "You're just in time. We're ready to eat," I said. "How was Frogadier's training?"

"I think Olympia's counsel has given Frogadier a boost of motivation," Ash said. "Since our Gym battle with her, it's been training even harder. Sometimes, I have to remind it to take breaks."

"How else is it going to become the very best, like no one ever was?" Ash gave me a weird look. I chuckled. "What?"

"I feel like I've heard that phrase a million times."

"It's the first time I've said it."

"Not from you, from…" Ash sighed. "Never mind. Can we eat? I'm starving."

Squishy warbled in surprise on my shoulder. I glanced at it, and I saw it looking towards a patch of trees. I followed its gaze but saw nothing. Frogadier's ears perked, and it whipped its head towards the trees. It grabbed two handfuls of Frubbles from around its neck and hurled them into the trees. Two silhouettes leaped from the trees. The light filled their bodies, giving them identity.

Sanpei and his now fully-evolved Greninja landed in front of us.

"Wow, I'm impressed," Sanpei said as he stood. "I knew your Frogadier was strong, but I didn't expect for it to notice our presence. It's grown a lot since I last saw it."

"It definitely has," Ash said. "It's good to see you again, Sanpei. What brings you to these parts?"

On cue, Sanpei's stomach growled. His cheeks grew bright red. "T-That's not why we're here! We were merely traveling, and I happened to see you all on the way," he exclaimed quickly.

Ash laughed. "Join us. We're about to sit down and eat."

Sanpei laughed nervously. "I appreciate it."

We set the table and dished soup into our bowls.

"You said you were traveling?" Ash said. "Where to?"

Sanpei swallowed his mouthful of sandwich. "Our home, the Ninja Village," he said.

"There a village _full_ of ninjas?" Bonnie's eyes twinkled.

Sanpei nodded. "We're participating in tomorrow's festival. My eldest brother, Ippei, is going to become the village's new chieftain."

"That's so exciting! Congratulations to him!" Serena said.

"Thanks. It was a long and hard journey for him. The title of chieftain goes to the strongest ninja in the village, and I think he deserves it." Sanpei smiled. "Would you all like to come and join the festival?"

"That'd be awesome!" Ash said.

"Let's go after we finish eating."

"The sooner, the better!" Ash grabbed his bowl and slurped the soup ravenously.

I sighed. "After I spent all that work on it," I said.

* * *

We cleaned our campsite and followed Sanpei through the forest. We climbed a steep, winding slope against a tall hill and entered a cave. It led to a dead end. Sanpei approached the wall and knocked on it. It made a hollow sound.

"Mountains," a muffled voice said on the other side.

"Rivers," Sanpei replied.

There was silence for a few moments. Sanpei stepped back, and the wall, which was a giant rock, rolled away, revealing more path.

"Welcome back, Sanpei," two ninjas said. Sanpei nodded.

We continued down the cave path. Light peeked at the end of the tunnel. As we drew closer, the light expanded, allowing us to see the cave walls. We stopped at the very outskirts of the cave and gazed at the village below. The houses were built into the walls of the hill. Grass, trees, and acres of crops bloomed in the sun. Paper lanterns were strung in the sky and from rock to rock. In the center of the village, people set up poles with the help of their Pokémon.

"I'll take you to meet my brothers," Sanpei said.

We traveled down the path and entered the village. Villagers said hello to Sanpei as we passed. At the village square, two young men helped set up a tower.

"Ippei! Nihei!" Sanpei called. The two glanced up from their work and smiled.

"Sanpei!" the younger, who I assumed was Nihei, hopped down from the tower and jogged to meet us. He extended his hand, and Sanpei gripped it tightly. "Welcome back! I see your Froakie has fully-evolved. Has time passed that much?"

"I find it hard to believe, as well." The older, Ippei, approached us and stood next to Nihei. "Ippei! Congratulations on achieving the title of chieftain."

"Thank you, Sanpei," Ippei said. "You've brought some friends to join us?"

"Yes." Sanpei gestured his arm to us. "I met them during my journey. They've played a part in my growth."

Ippei turned to us. "I thank you for that. It's nice to meet you all." He turned back to Sanpei. "I'd like to test your strength. Let's see just how much you've grown since you were last here. You'll battle Nihei."

"Are you ready?" Nihei said.

"You bet!" Sanpei said.

* * *

In the village square, Sanpei and Nihei had their battle with Greninja and Venusaur. Nihei won the battle. Afterwards, Sanpei led us into the caves and to his room.

"It's amazing how you've been able to turn these caves into a home," Clemont said. "It must have taken a long time to build."

"Indeed," Sanpei said, "but it was made easier when we worked together."

Greninja stepped next Sanpei and handed him a frame.

"I remember this!" Sanpei took the picture frame. We gathered around him and looked at the picture. It was of him, his brothers, and their Pokémon. "This was taken the day before I left on my journey."

"Your Greninja was still Froakie," Ash said. "I guess a lot of time _has_ passed."

Sanpei nodded. He carefully placed the picture frame on the shelf. "There's something I want to show you."

"More ninja secrets?" Bonnie said.

Sanpei migrated to the middle of the room, crouched to the floor, and knocked his knuckles against the wood floor. A panel of wood shifted sideways, revealing a hidden tunnel.

"Down here," Sanpei said. "I highly recommend you bend your knees when you get to the end."

Sanpei leaped into the tunnel. We peered into the tunnel, which descended into darkness.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Gripping the strap of her purse, Bonnie jumped into the hole.

"Bonnie!" Clemont cried. He grabbed the panel for balance and jumped in.

One by one, we climbed into the hole. We slid down the tunnel. With no twists or turns, the ride was over in a few seconds. At the end of the tunnel was a drop of several feet. I bended my knees as my feet hit the stone floor. I stood straight.

"Is everyone all right?" I said.

"That was terrifying," Serena sighed, a hand on her chest to try and calm her racing heart.

"That was fun!" Bonnie cried. "Can we do that again?"

"Perhaps another time," Sanpei chuckled. "This way."

Sanpei led us to a small building sitting at the end of the large room.

"This is a shrine we've dedicated to the heroes of the village," Sanpei said. He opened the doors, and we stepped inside. The room was empty, save for three pictures on the far wall. "Legend says there was a great battle that broke out between ninja. These were the heroes that protected and saved the village from destruction."

We stepped closer to the pictures and examined them.

"They're… Pokémon?" I said.

The three pictures, from left to right, were of a Heatmor, a Greninja, and a Staraptor.

"Yes," Sanpei said. He approached the Greninja picture. "Of these heroes, Greninja was said to be the leader. To be honest, that's what led me to choosing Froakie as my partner- out of admiration for the hero. One day, I hope for Greninja to become as great as the one from ancient times."

Ash approached the picture. "Is it me, or… does this Greninja look different from others?"

"What do you mean?" Sanpei peered closer at the picture.

Ash pointed at the head of the Greninja. "The head is styled differently than most Greninja. And what's this star-shaped thing its holding?"

Sanpei stepped back. "Hm… I never noticed this before. Maybe this form is why it was so powerful?"

We left the shrine, and Sanpei carefully closed the doors behind us. We climbed down the stairs, and a choir of rattling echoed against the stone. We lifted our gaze to several strings of small, wooden, red boards with smaller, yellow sticks on both sides. As they shook, the yellow sticks slapped the red board and created a loud, clattering noise.

"What's going on?" Serena said.

"That's the alarm! Something has happened outside!" Sanpei hurried to the exit. "Quickly, we must go!"

We followed Sanpei to the exit and through the caves. We turned the corner and found Ippei and Nihei.

"Ippei! What's happening?!" Sanpei said.

"We're under attack," Ippei said.

"By who?"

"We don't know. We're on our way to help the villagers. Sanpei, take your friends and find the chieftain."

Sanpei nodded and turned to us. "This way!"

We continued through the caves, Ippei and Nihei going another direction. We came to the chieftain's doors, and Sanpei threw them open.

"Chieftain Hanzo!" Sanpei said.

A short, old man turned from his balcony view and faced us. He wore stilts, adding a few inches to his height.

"Sanpei," Hanzo said.

"Ippei sent us to watch over you. Do you have any idea what's going on?" Sanpei said.

"A swarm of Skarmory have attacked our village." Hanzo looked over the village. Skarmory circled the villagers like hungry vultures. Ippei and Nihei were on the ground, fighting them off with Greninja and Venusaur. "I recognize these Skarmory."

"You do? Whose are they?"

A chill touched my ankles- a physical chill. I looked and saw a small, shimmering mist slither into the room. The mist gushed into the room, chilling the air instantly. The mist ceased, and we lifted our gaze. The walls and tapestries were coated in a thin layer of frost. A small group of men stood at the entrance, each wearing masks to conceal all but their mouths.

"And you are?" Hanzo said. He closed the fan blocking his face, breaking off and scattering the frost that covered it.

"Pardon the intrusion," the man in front, who wore a Haxorus mask, said. "Chieftain Hanzo. We have some business to attend to."

Two ninjas behind him leaped into the air and threw smoke bombs at the ground. They exploded, and a thick haze consumed the room. As the smoke began to clear, the ninjas grabbed Hanzo, wrapped in string produced by Ariados, and leaped off the balcony.

"Chieftain Hanzo!" Sanpei cried. He and Greninja hurried to the balcony and leaped off, landing on the path below. "Satoshi! I need your help!"

"Right!" Ash said. He and Frogadier ran to the balcony. "Rylee."

I nodded and turned to the others. "Go down to the village and find Sanpei's brothers. They might need your help."

"You can count on us," Clemont said. He, Bonnie, and Serena hurried out of the room.

I planted my hands on the balcony railing and leaped over the side. I landed in a crouch and quickly straightened. Ash followed close behind, and we sprinted down the path, after Sanpei.


	60. A New Phenomenon

We followed the long, rocky path until we found Sanpei. He and Greninja were stopped by a man wearing a Lairon mask. A Bisharp stood at his side.

"Who are you?!" Sanpei called.

"I'm here to keep you from following us," the man said. "Bisharp, use Shadow Claw."

Bisharp thrust its arm to the side as dark energy engulfed it. It charged forward.

"Block it with Night Slash!" Sanpei said.

Greninja lunged and met Bisharp's Shadow Claw with Night Slash. However, Bisharp proved himself to be more powerful, and it batted Greninja away like a pesky bug.

"Greninja!"

"Pikachu, use Iron Tail! Frogadier, use Cut!"

Pikachu and Frogadier charged towards Bisharp.

"Use Shadow Claw again."

Bisharp met Pikachu and Frogadier and, proving once again to be the stronger Pokémon, knocked them away. They crashed on the plateau below.

"Pikachu! Frogadier! Are you okay?" Ash's Pokémon groaned in response.

"Giving up already?" the masked man said. "Use Shadow Claw again and finish this."

"Zoroark, you use Shadow Claw as well."

Zoroark jumped off my shoulder and transformed into her true form. Summoning a Shadow Claw, Zoroark charged towards Bisharp.

"On second thought," the man said, "Bisharp, use X-Scissor!"

My eyes widened as Bisharp brought up its other arm, and whitish-blue energy covered both arms.

"Change your Shadow Claw to Protect and block it!"

Zoroark swiped her arm as the dark energy dispelled, replaced by Protect. Their moves met. Zoroark, as Protect covered her other arm, swung it around and slammed her fist into the top of Bisharp's head. Bisharp slammed into the ground. Zoroark landed on her feet in front of me.

A sense of accomplishment filled my chest, but I quickly shoved it down. _Sylveon won't do much to Bisharp, and she's in trouble if it has a Steel-type move. Zoroark is a better option, but since it knows Bug-type moves, I need to be careful._ I reached up and touched Aegislash's PokéBall. _I can always have Aegislash use Secret Sword if things become troublesome._

As Bisharp lay on the ground, wounded from Zoroark's attack, the masked man pulled out its PokéBall. "I think we've bought them enough time," he said, a proud smile on his face.

I jolted in surprise. _He's giving up already?_

The masked man returned Bisharp to its PokéBall and leaped off the path. Right before he landed on the ground below, a Skarmory swooped underneath his feet and carried him away.

"Hey! Come back here!" Ash called as he and Sanpei started to run down the path. I extended my arm in front of them.

"There's no point in chasing him," I said. I lowered my arm and watched the flock of Skarmory shrink into tiny dots in the sky. "Those other guys are probably long gone as well. We need to regroup with the others and make sure they're safe."

"She's right. My brother will know what to do," Sanpei said.

Ash looked between us and nodded.

* * *

We returned to the village. There were craters scattered around the village's square from the Skarmory attacks. Thankfully, none of our friends or the villagers were harmed during the attack. We regrouped with them and Sanpei's brothers and retreated to the chieftain's meeting room. It was small, with a firepit and a kettle hanging over it. The firepit had a small pile of firewood inside, glowing with dying embers. My friends and I knelt on one side of the room, and the three brothers and Chieftain Hanzo's assistant, a woman named Shinobu, knelt across from us on the other side.

"Even with those masks, I could still recognize them," Ippei said. "This is the work of Kagetomo."

The other ninjas looked at him in shock.

"Who's Kagetomo?" Ash said.

"He used to be one of us. He was an excellent ninja, and he was originally Chieftain Hanzo's successor. He, however, only envisioned the power he would obtain from becoming chieftain. He wanted to take his power to the rest of the world, with a plan to use the ninja to take it over… with him as the head," Ippei said. "Chieftain Hanzo refused, and revoked Kagetomo of his succession. Enraged, he and his partner, Heidayu, left the Ninja Village. After I was named to be Chieftain Hanzo's new successor, he told me about Kagetomo and what he's been up to. Apparently, he and Heidayu gathered and trained some underlings and formed a ninja corps. Now, they've used it to kidnap the chieftain."

Sanpei leaped to his feet. "Then we mustn't delay any further! We have to find the chieftain and rescue him from Kagetomo!"

"How are you going to look for him when you haven't the slightest clue where he might be?" Ippei said. Sanpei paused. "I've thought this through. I sent one of our own to track down and follow Kagetomo to wherever he has taken Chieftain Hanzo."

"There is nothing to worry about," Shinobu said. "Chieftain Hanzo is a smart and clever man. He can handle someone like Kagetomo."

The doors slid open, and a man dressed in brown robes entered and knelt before Ippei.

"I have found Kagetomo," he said. "He's near the summit of Mount Otori."

"All right. Thank you," Ippei said. He turned to Nihei and Sanpei. "Gather a group of ninjas. We're setting out to rescue our Chieftain!"

"Yes, brother!" Nihei and Sanpei said.

* * *

We climbed the rocky path of Mount Otori. Day had shifted to night long ago. The bright rays of the moon illuminated our path, but everywhere around us was nearly shrouded in darkness. We traveled in the front of the group- me, my friends, and the three ninja brothers- while the other ninjas who volunteered to help us in the rescue mission followed.

Ippei stopped, and he extended his arm. "Wait. We have company," he said.

We followed his gaze to a plateau above us. A man with gray hair and dark green robes stood before us, a group of ninjas clad in black surrounding him.

"Heidayu!" Ippei called.

I turned to Ash. "That's the man we fought earlier. The one with the Lairon mask."

Ash perked up. "That was Heidayu?"

"Welcome, Ippei!" Heidayu said. "Congratulations on becoming the new successor to the chieftain throne. We've come to help you celebrate."

"Out of our way! You have our chieftain, and I demand you give him back."

"Your pleas fall on deaf ears, boy." Some of the ninjas disappeared and reappeared behind us, surrounding the other ninja. Heidayu pulled out a PokéBall, and his underlings followed his action. They tossed the PokéBalls in the air. Dark-types- Houndoor, Houndoom, Ariados, and Gengar- surrounded us. Heidayu's Bisharp stood in front of the ninjas.

"Ippei," Sanpei said, "leave this to us. You and Nihei should go find the chieftain."

"All right," Ippei said. He and Nihei looked to each other, nodded, and ran ahead.

"Bisharp, use X-Scissor!"

Bisharp crossed its arms and thrust them towards the two brothers.

"Greninja, use Night Slash!"

Sanpei's Greninja lunged forward and swiped its Night Slash against the approaching X-Scissor, cancelling it out. The smoke cleared, and Ippei and Nihei were gone, replaced by Sanpei and Greninja.

"You're our opponents!" Sanpei said. "Greninja, use Night Slash!"

"Pikachu, use Iron Tail! Frogadier, use Cut!"

"Are you sure about that? After I've proven how powerless your Pokémon are against my Bisharp?" Heidayu said as the Pokémon charged at him. He smirked. "Bisharp, use Fury Cutter!"

Bisharp lunged, its arms coursing white, and leaped into the air. It slammed one arm down and into Greninja's head as it rose to meet it. Greninja fell. Frogadier was next, and Bisharp swatted it away. Frogadier fell into Pikachu, and the two fell to the ground.

"Don't give them a chance to recover. Use Snarl!"

I perked up. _Shadow Claw, X-Scissor, Fury Cutter, and Snarl… No Fighting-type moves…_ I looked to Sylveon and smiled. _Sylveon may not be able to do much damage, but she can help chip away at Bisharp's health._

Bisharp roared, and a large ball of magenta energy raced towards us.

"Zoroark, use Night Daze!"

Dark energy curled around Zoroark, and she slammed her fists into the ground. A dome of energy pulsed from her body, and it met with the Snarl. After a struggle, the two moves cancelled out.

"Sylveon, use Fairy Wind!"

Sylveon began to swirl her ribbons. Heidayu laughed.

"Foolish girl. Fairy-type moves aren't effective against Steel-types," he said.

I kept a straight face. As the Fairy Wind approached Bisharp, it effortlessly lifted and arm and blocked the wind.

"Now, use Dazzling Gleam!"

As Bisharp brought its arms down, Sylveon, her ribbons still raised, spread them out and unleashed a blinding light. Bisharp cringed from the light. I reached up, grabbed Aegislash's PokéBall, and tossed it into the air.

"Aegislash, use Swords Dance, then Sacred Sword!"

As the blue emersion light faded from Aegislash, blue silhouettes resembling swords circled around it, and it glowed red for a few seconds. It brought its tasseled arms out from in front of it, and its blade glowed bright blue and expanded. It lunged through the air and swiped through the dazed Bisharp. Bisharp flew back.

"Bisharp!" Heidayu hissed. Bisharp's eyes popped back open, and it twisted its body and planted its feet on the ground. It stabbed its arm into the ground to deaccelerate and come to a stop. "Use Fury Cutter!"

Bisharp's arms glowed white, and it charged forward.

"On Pikachu!"

Bisharp vanished in the blink of an eye, appearing behind Aegislash. I gasped. Bisharp continued to run, straight for Pikachu.

"Aegislash-!"

Before I could call my command, Frogadier hoisted itself onto its feet and jumped in front of Pikachu. It brought its arms up and blocked Bisharp's attack. Its knees trembled under the power. In a moment of sheer strength, it pushed Bisharp back.

Frogadier's body began to glow blue, and a pulse of blue energy swept through the air, knocking Bisharp back. The energy made my heart quiver and my teeth vibrate as it swept over me.

"Frogadier…?" Ash said.

"It's evolving!" Sanpei said.

As the blue light glowed, Frogadier's body transformed. The light dispelled, and Greninja now stood, silently poised.

"Greninja…" A smile spread across Ash's lips, and his expression grew determined. "Pikachu, use Electro Ball!"

"Knock it away with X-Scissor!"

Pikachu jumped in the air as a ball of electricity formed at the edge of his tail. He twisted in the air and launched the Electro Ball at Bisharp. Bisharp reeled its arm back as it glowed blue and stabbed it upwards and into the Electro Ball. The Electro Ball soared high into the air and exploded.

"Greninja, use Water Shuriken!"

Ash's Greninja slapped its thighs as two Water Shurikens formed. He brought them together, making one big shuriken, and hurled it at Bisharp. It slammed into its stomach, and Bisharp fell back, landing directly in front of Heidayu.

Heidayu grit his teeth. His fists clenched until his knuckles were pure white. "I refuse to lose to a bunch of children! Kagetomo is destined to become the next chieftain! Bisharp! Use Snarl!"

Bisharp sprung back to its feet and let out a roar. A large magenta orb formed and rushed towards us.

"We'll prove that we are stronger!" Ash said. He brought his arm up in front of him and clenched his fist. As he did, Greninja followed the motion exactly. "We'll become much, _much_ stronger!"

Greninja's eyes glowed red. It tossed its head back and roared. A torrent of water erupted around it. Red glowed through the water torrent. My eyes widened.

"Use Cut!"

Greninja charged forward, the water torrent following with it, straight into the Snarl. It effortlessly sliced through the Snarl like a hot knife through butter.

Heidayu's eyes widened as the water torrent quickly approached. "Use Fury Cutter!"

Bisharp's arms glowed white and swung. Greninja blocked the attacks and slammed its fist into Bisharp's cheek. Bisharp slammed into Heidayu, and they both went down.

Greninja landed, and the water torrent faded. Greninja turned towards Ash, who stared in shock.

"Let's go, Ash!" Sanpei said. "Ippei might need our help!"

Ash blinked and looked to Sanpei. "Right! Rylee!"

I nodded, and we climbed up the path of Mount Otori. As we climbed higher, the sounds of fighting grew louder, and we moved faster. We found Ippei and Nihei. Ippei and Kagetomo were battling, Ippei's Greninja against Kagetomo's Weavile.

"Nihei!" Sanpei said. Nihei turned.

"Stay back. Don't get involved," Nihei said.

"What's going on?"

"Kagetomo has challenged Ippei for the title of chieftain." Sanpei gasped. Nihei faced the battle. "Don't worry. The winner has already been decided."

"Greninja, use Double Team!"

Ippei's Greninja brought its hands together, and multiple clones appeared.

"Wipe them all out with Giga Impact!"

White and gold energy erupted from the top of Weavile's head and covered it in a dome. It charged forward, destroying all Greninja clones. The smoke cleared, and the real Greninja was gone. Kagetomo's eyes widened.

"Keep an eye out, Weavile!" Kagetomo said. Ippei bowed his head slightly, his expression blank.

"Water Shuriken!"

The ground erupted in front of Weavile, and Greninja burst through the earth. Two Water Shurikens were in its hands.

"I won't let you destroy the peace we have kept for so long. We will protect the ninjas from people like you! I will become the next chieftain, and I will use my power to protect my people, not rule over them!" Ippei said.

"Get back and use Metal Claw!"

However, Greninja was already too close. It flipped and slammed its foot into Weavile's head, launching him into the ground. He hurled the Water Shurikens at Weavile, causing a thick haze to sit in the air. The haze parted, and Weavile lay motionless on the ground.

"Get up, Weavile!" Kagetomo said. Weavile tried to stand, but its exhaustion weighed it down. "I said get up! Do what I say!"

"That is enough, Kagetomo," Chieftain Hanzo said. Greninja hopped to Chieftain Hanzo's side, who sat on the edge of the cliff with his hands tied behind his back. Using a Water Shuriken, it cut the rope and helped him stand. Chieftain Hanzo approached Kagetomo. "This battle was already decided long before it ended. Ippei possesses something you do not have: self-sacrifice. He did not battle with the intent to gain power. He fought to protect his people. He fought with the future of the village in mind. That is what truly makes a ninja."

Kagetomo's angry expression faded, and he unclenched his fists. He looked at his tired Weavile.

"You fought excellently, Kagetomo," Ippei said. "You're still a great ninja, and you can become stronger… but not in power."

Kagetomo knelt at his Weavile's side and helped it stand. He patted its head. "You… did great, Weavile. Thank you."

Weavile purred with a smile.

* * *

Kagetomo and his underlings were brought into custody. Underneath the light of the strung lanterns, we stood around the tower in the center of the village square. Ippei and Chieftain Hanzo stood on the tower above.

"From this day forward, I pronounce Ippei as the new chieftain of the Ninja Village!" Chieftain Hanzo said. He reached into his robes and pulled out a small golden shuriken. He handed it to Ippei. "Introducing your new chieftain: Chieftain Ippei!"

The villagers around us erupted into cheers. My friends and I applauded as Ippei held the symbol above his head. The ceremony ended, and the ninjas began the after-celebration.

"Ash," I said as I turned to the 14-year-old, "what happened with you and Greninja earlier?"

Ash blinked and rubbed the back of his neck. "I… have no idea. I remember saying right before that we would prove we were stronger. Everything after that got kind of blurry, like I was trying to see through running water. When my vision cleared, Greninja had defeated Heidayu's Bisharp."

"Hm…"

"Think it'll happen again?"

I shrugged. "Judging from our record of crazy occurrences happening during our journey, it most likely will. If it does, and the more it does, it'll help us figure out what it is."

"First Squishy, now this." Ash sweatdropped. "I don't like where this is headed."

I chuckled nervously and scratched my cheek. "Me, neither. But since it's us, it was bound to happen eventually."

"True… Let's worry about this tomorrow. I heard there's going to be a giant feast to celebrate Ippei becoming chieftain, and just like a Gym battle, I can't let anything distract me from focusing one-hundred percent."

"That is the most Ash thing I've heard this week," I laughed. Ash grinned.


	61. Terminus Cave

We looked from our perch on a cliff to the cave sitting below. Railroads, long since abandoned and now covered with growing vines and moss, led to the entrance.

"Is this the right cave?" Ash said.

Serena checked her map and nodded. "Yup. Terminus Cave."

Bonnie opened the flap of her bag and peeked inside. "Squishy, we're here!"

Dedenne snoozed in the large pocket of her bag. Squishy wriggled out of the smaller pocket and gazed at the cave. It warbled under its breath, blinking several times as if it couldn't believe its eye. A few weeks ago, the morning after the series of strange dreams some of us experienced, Squishy asked for us to come to this cave. The reason was still unknown; it didn't give us one.

I stretched my hand out and created a platform of Protect. We climbed on, and I lowered us onto the railroads below. I stepped down first, to ensure its stability, and everyone followed suit.

The cave was brightly lit, thanks to the myriad of glowing blue stones embedded in the rock.

"The map says this used to be a mine. Now it's a home for wild Pokémon. Trainers often come by to catch new additions to their team," Serena said.

An Ariados crawled across a stalactite and gazed at us curiously. A Shuckle and a Lairon walked together over the rocks near the wall.

Squishy squirmed in Bonnie's bag. "What's wrong, Squishy?" Bonnie asked.

Squishy jumped out of the bag and hopped down the cave path.

"Maybe it's looking for something that's in the cave," I said.

We followed Squishy, having to jog to keep up with it. We reached a large room in the cave. Squishy climbed a tall mound of rocks and looked around.

" _It's… dark in here…"_ Squishy said.

"Clemont," I said, "can you use your backpack to light the cave?"

"Sure," Clemont said. He pressed a button on the strap of his backpack. A Heliolisk-shaped flashlight emerged from the top of his backpack, and a bright light burst from it. The glow of the blue stones was dimmed from the intensity of the flashlight.

Squishy looked around once more, fixing its eyes on a path. _"That way."_

We followed Squishy's directions, weaving in and out of spacious rooms, cramped passages, and walls we had to climb or jump down from.

We arrived at another large room. A chasm lay in the center of the room. The darkness kept us from seeing how far from the ground was from the edge.

"We're pretty far inside," Ash said. "How far are we from where you want to go?"

Squishy gazed thoughtfully down the chasm. It glanced at us over its shoulder briefly, faced the chasm, and leaped inside.

"Squishy!" Bonnie ran to the edge of the chasm and fell on her knees. "Squishy, wait!"

I peered into the dark chasm. "I'll follow Squishy down there," I said. "You guys find another path."

My friends nodded. Ash called Noibat to use its Supersonic and find a path. They hurried away into the darkness. I returned Sylveon to her PokéBall and attached it to my front belt loop. My body glowed green, and I shrunk several feet and inches. The light faded, and I looked at my tiny, fuzzy, yellow legs. I blinked several times to try and adjust to four eyes instead of two. I looked to Zoroark, who also transformed into a Joltik. We walked over to the edge, our feet clinging to the rock, and climbed down the chasm. We reached the bottom and saw only one path. We crawled on four legs until we reached an opening. We transformed back, and I stood up from a crouch.

It was easy to see in this room, thanks to the large pool that glowed bright green. The stones above still glowed, but not as brightly as the pool. I walked over to the edge and crouched. Squishy swam peacefully inside the pool.

"This is why it wanted us to come here?" I said quietly.

Squishy rolled onto its back so its face surfaced. After it did, its body glowed green, and the area around it in the pool emitted bright rays of green. I perked up.

" _What's happening?_ " Zoroark said.

"I have… no idea…" I said. I stood straight.

Squishy's eye, which was closed while swimming underwater, snapped open. Pulse of green energy radiated from its body and spread across the room. The energy rushed through me, gently rustling my hair.

" _Are you unharmed?"_ Squishy's voice echoed in my mind. There was a brief silence, as if it was waiting for a response. _"There is no danger here. Escape!"_

Footsteps echoed from the path, and I looked and saw my friends emerge and enter the room.

"Squishy!" Bonnie cupped her hands over her mouth. "You can't run off like that. What are you doing in there, anyway?"

Squishy sat up in the pool and stared at us. The glowing stopped, and Squishy turned invisible.

"Squishy? Squishy, where did you go?" Bonnie called. She jumped into the pool, the water lapping at her ankles, and sloshed around. "Squishy!"

Squishy had vanished. We looked around, and no matter how much we called, it wouldn't respond. Ash used Noibat's Supersonic to try and detect the creature, but it came up with no results.

"Why is it hiding?" Clemont said. "Do you think maybe now that it's here, it no longer needs us?"

"No!" Bonnie cried. "That's not it! Squishy wouldn't do that!"

I sighed and looped a piece of hair behind my ear. As I did, my ears perked as I heard something stream through the air. I looked in the direction of the noise, and my eyes widened when I saw group of Pin Missiles curve through the air and dart towards us. I swiped my arm and created a wall of Protect. The Pin Missiles slammed into the Protect. I dispelled the Protect and looked at the rocks above. Team Flare and their Pokémon watched us from below.

"Oh. It's you," the purple-haired woman said. Her Drapion stood at her side. "We don't have time to deal with you. Stay put while we do our work."

Her Drapion opened its mouth and fired a string of Mud Shot at our feet, kicking up dirt and pebbles.

"That was a warning, in case you want to try and act like heroes," the woman said. "Bryony."

Bryony, the green-haired woman, hoisted a strange energy gun in her arms as she walked to a rock jutting over the pool. She tapped the side of her goggles, and they lit up. The purple-haired woman did the same with her visor, and the two analyzed the room.

" _What are they doing?"_ Zoroark said.

" _They must be looking for Squishy,"_ I said. _"Those goggles must allow them to see it, even when its invisible."_

The cave was eerily silent as the women search the room. I shifted my gaze between them and the Team Flare grunts who watched us closely.

Bryony lifted her head to the ceiling and searched. Her head stopped turning, and a smile curved on her lips.

"Found you!" She aimed the energy gun and fired. A thick beam of yellow energy smashed into a stalactite. A few moments later, something splashed in the water.

"What was… Squishy?!" Clemont said.

The women fired aimlessly into the water. I searched, but I couldn't see Squishy; it must still be invisible.

"Hold still, you little runt!" the purple-haired woman said. She fired one more shot. The water erupted like a geyser. Squishy turned visible, crackling with yellow energy. Squishy slammed into a stalagmite and fell limp against it.

"Squishy!" Bonnie cried.

"Nice shot, Celosia," Bryony said. Celosia didn't reply as she recharged the gun. "Capture it."

"Yes, ma'am!" a grunt said. He pulled a box of red energy from his pocket and approached Squishy.

"Zoroark," I said. "Ninjask."

Zoroark crouched and leaped into the air as she glowed magenta. She transformed into a Ninjask. She darted forward at near invisible speeds, past the grunt, and snatched Squishy with her claws.

"Bisharp," Bryony tossed a PokéBall in the air, "use Stone Edge!"

Bryony's Bisharp emerged from the Pokémon, and it slammed its first into the ground. Glowing blue stones erupted from the ground. Zoroark darted around the stones. She reappeared next to me and handed Squishy to me. Zoroark transformed into her original form and stood next to me. I cupped Squishy in one hand and held it close to my chest. My hand tingled from the energy radiating off its body.

"I see," Celosia said, "you're looking for a fight. I shouldn't be surprised; you revealed your hot-headed temper the last time we met."

I scowled and stepped back, positioning the side that held Squishy away from Team Flare. The grunts summoned their Pokémon.

"Cross Poison."

"Greninja!" Ash tossed his PokéBall in the air. "Use Water Shuriken!"

Greninja emerged from the PokéBall and slapped its thighs as two shurikens formed. It threw them at the Cross Poison and canceled out the move.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

"Braixen, use Flamethrower!"

"Luxray, use Swift!"

Serena and Clemont threw their PokéBalls in the air. Their Pokémon emerged, and the three attacked.

"Dark Pulse!"

The grunts' Pokémon, two Houndours and a Skorupi, opened their mouths as dark energy collected. They launched their Dark Pulses, which combined to create one large one, and met them with our attacks. A giant haze of smoke filled our surroundings.

Bonnie hurried to my side. "Squishy! Are you okay?"

I crouched to Bonnie's height and held out Squishy. It lay with its eye closed, but it was breathing. Bonnie took Squishy from my hands and gently cradled it.

"It's about time you hand Z over to us," Bryony said. She held her hand out. "Be a good little girl, would you?"

Bonnie stepped back. I lifted my arm in front of her. Greninja stood on the other side of me, its arm in front of Bonnie as well.

"You people are crazy!" Bonnie said. "I'll never give you Squishy!" She lowered her voice. "Don't worry, Squishy. No matter what they try and do, I'll protect you- we all will."

"I like that spark of courage," Celosia said. She and Bryony stood side-by-side with their Pokémon. "But it's a waste of effort."

Squishy warbled angrily in Bonnie's arms. Its body began to glow brightly. It broke from Bonnie's grasp and stood in front of us.

Creatures that looked like Squishy turned visible around us, on the ground and on the ceiling. There were so many, I almost couldn't see the cave rocks.

"There were this many Cells?!" Celosia said. "Drapion, use Sludge Bomb!"

Drapion spewed a glob of poisonous goop at Squishy. A barrier formed around Squishy and blocked the attack. The Cells leaped off the rocks in streams of green light and gathered to Squishy. Squishy's cries echoed in the cave as it began to take a new shape. Its cry changed into a low roar. The light faded, and Squishy now stood as black and green canine creature. A green leash was attached to its neck. It bore its razor-sharp teeth.

"…Squishy?" Bonnie said.

"So, this is one of its Formes," Bryony said.

Squishy threw its head back, and the ground erupted. Rocks jutted from the ground, tossing the Team Flare members and their Pokémon left and right. Beams of harsh green light poked through the earth. From where we stood, the earth didn't change. However, a tall wall of rock now lay in front of us. We peered through a tiny opening between two rocks and watched Celosia's Drapion and Bryony's Bisharp fly like ragdolls.

"I had no idea Squishy possessed this kind of power," Ash said.

"No wonder why they want it so badly," I said.

The chaos ceased. The Team Flare grunts and their Pokémon lay scattered on the rocks, all unconscious. Even Drapion and Bisharp were one-hit KOed. Celosia and Bryony, the only one's still standing, crawled to their feet, panting wildly.

We crawled around the wall of rocks to where Squishy was.

"Squishy?" Bonnie called. Squishy whirled its head around to look at us. After a few seconds, it darted away. "Squishy!"

"Liepard, follow it!"

"Manectric, follow it!"

Celosia and Bryony summoned their second Pokémon, Manectric and Liepard. The two Pokémon sprinted after Squishy.

"Zoroark, stop them!"

"You, too, Greninja!"

Zoroark and Greninja leaped from stalactite to stalactite and landed in front of Manectric and Liepard. Squishy ran out of the room.

Bryony grit her teeth. "Stop getting in our way, you stupid brats! Liepard, use Shadow Claw!"

Liepard lunged towards Greninja with one claw coursing with dark energy.

"Zoroark, counter with your Shadow Claw!"

Zoroark jumped in front of Greninja, summoned a Shadow Claw, and swiped it to meet Liepard's. The two struggled with one another.

"Use Thunderbolt!" Manectric's body crackled with energy.

"Greninja, use Cut!"

As Manectric unleashed a Thunderbolt, Greninja jumped into the air and summoned a thin strip of white energy. It brought it up and tried to block the Thunderbolt, but it was hit and knocked back into the rocks.

"Greninja!" Ash called. He ran over to Greninja. "Are you okay? Can you still stand?"

Greninja hoisted itself to its feet. Its eyes glowed red. Ash glared at Team Flare.

" _Let's go_!" he cried.

Greninja roared, and a rapid torrent of water erupted around it. My eyes widened.

"It's happening again," I said. "Stand back, Zoroark."

Zoroark shoved Liepard back and jumped to my side. Through the torrent of water, I could see the glowing red of Greninja's body a little more clearly than the last time.

"What… is _that_?" Celosia said.

"Water Shuriken!" Greninja leaped high into the air in less than a second. A giant shuriken broke through the water and spiraled towards Team Flare.

Celosia gasped. "Manectric, use Shock Wave!" Her voice was shaken.

Manectric unleashed electricity from its tail. The electricity met the shuriken and destroyed it.

"Use Scratch!"

Manectric jumped through the smoke, its paw raised to attack. It slashed its claws against Greninja's arm.

Ash winced, and he clutched his arm. My eyes widened.

 _He can_ feel _Greninja's pain when it's in this state?_

"Use Cut!"

Greninja jerked to the side, suddenly appearing in front of Manectric as it flew through the air. It swiped its arm, and Manectric flew back and slammed into the ground, landing in front of Celosia.

"Manectric!"

"Liepard, use Shadow Claw!"

"Aerial Ace!"

Liepard swung several times to try and land its attack, but Greninja dodged each swipe. It thrust its arms diagonally, and a cross of white energy broke through the water torrent and hit Liepard, almost knocking it straight into Bryony.

Greninja landed on the ground, and the water torrent cleared. It was back to normal. Both it and Ash groaned and fell to one knee. Ash clutched his arm, the same one Manectric scratched on Greninja.

Liepard and Manectric struggled to stand. Celosia and Bryony looked at each other nervously and nodded.

"Manectric, use Flash!"

With its last ounce of strength, Manectric emitted a harsh, blinding light. We covered our eyes. When it faded, Team Flare was gone.

I turned to Ash, who still knelt on the ground, and crouch to his level. "Let me see your arm."

Ash looked up at me. "Huh?"

"Arm."

Ash carefully raised his arm. I held his wrist in one hand and lifted the sleeve of his jacket with another. He winced. My eyes widened at the bleeding scratch on his arm. I looked to Ash.

"What happened this time? While Greninja was in that torrent?" I said.

"I…" Ash said. "When Greninja got hit, I felt it, too. My vision was blurry, like before, but only at first. After a while, it cleared, but… it wasn't what _I_ was seeing. I could see what _Greninja_ was seeing. It was like… I _became_ Greninja."

I summoned an orb of Heal Pulse and pressed it into the scratch. Ash gritted his teeth. I pulled my hand away. The scratch was reduced to a tiny sliver. I opened Ash's backpack, pulled out a bandage, and applied it over the scratch. I looked at Ash, my expression hardened.

"We need to find out what this is," I said. "I thought we could keep it at a lower priority and learn about it as it kept happening, but we can't anymore. Whatever is going on, it synchronizes you and Greninja. If it gets hurt, you _also_ receive the damage."

Ash stared thoughtfully into space. I helped him stand.

"And now we've lost Squishy." I heaved a sigh. "Now what?"

"We should look for it," Bonnie said. "Squishy ran because it was afraid, and it's out there somewhere, hurt from what they did. We need to find it!"

I smiled and patted her head. "I agree." I turned to the others. "Come on. I think we've had enough time in this cave."

* * *

~TPPOV~

Celosia and Bryony sat on the cliff edge outside of Terminus Cave. Their clothes and skin were filthy with dirt and scratches. They watched as Rylee and the others emerged from the cave and made their way to land.

Celosia lifted a finger to her ear and tapped the earpiece resting inside. "Celosia to Headquarters. Over."

" _This is Headquarters,"_ a voice said. _"Did you manage to capture Z1?"_

"No… we failed," Celosia said. "A group of bratty kids and their Pokémon stopped us, and Z1 revealed one of its Formes. We're sending you the video footage."

" _Excellent. I will analyze it immediately."_

"Also, Xerosic," Celosia continued, "tell Lysandre that one of the children who stopped us is a Guardian. You know, like that tea head we have in custody. She's his sister."

"… _Interesting…"_ This voice was different. Celosia snapped to attention.

"Lysandre, sir!" she said. Bryony leaped to her feet.

" _No need to sound so serious,"_ Lysandre chuckled. _"Tell me more about this sister."_

"She can use Pokémon moves, sir, like she is one. She seems to have a variety of offensive and defensive moves." There was silence on the other end. "Sir?"

" _Report back to headquarters. Your next assignment awaits."_

"Yes, sir!" Celosia saluted to the open sky.

* * *

Inside Team Flare's headquarters, Lysandre hung up the call. The footage Celosia and Bryony sent came in, and he and Xerosic, a large man with pure white skin, watched as Squishy, in its new Forme, used Land's Wrath to tear apart the cave.

"Marvelous!" Xerosic giggled with glee. "So, this is one of the Formes Z1 takes on when it merges with Cells. I can hardly wait for when its other Formes are revealed."

"What of Z2?" Lysandre said.

"We're tracking it as we speak. It won't be long before we finally have it in our hands."

"Excellent work." Lysandre turned on his heel and headed towards the door.

"Where are you going?"

"Business."

The doors closed behind Lysandre, and he turned down a long hallway. His expression turned cold with each step. He came to a metal door, adjusted his tie, and opened it.

Light peaked into the empty room. The only thing on the wall was a tiny window. Lysandre rolled his shoulders back as he looked down. N lay curled in the corner and against the wall. He didn't move when Lysandre opened the door. Lysandre stepped into the room and stood over N, glowering at him without moving his neck.

"Did you hear the news?" Lysandre said. "My employees have found your sister fraternizing with our work. I guess it runs in the family."

Lysandre planted a foot on N's shoulder and rolled him onto his back. His eyes were closed. His breathing was jagged. Sweat drenched his face and the collar of his jacket. Lysandre lifted his nose in the air.

"Sounds like _she'll_ be an actual challenge. Tell me… is every Guardian a freak like you two?"

There was no answer. Lysandre scowled, reared his foot back, and slammed it into N's side. N choked as some of the air was knocked out of him. His jagged breathing grew even more raspy as clutched his side and curled into a ball.

"I see you still lack respect. Pathetic." Lysandre turned on his heel, stepped out of the room, and closed the door behind him.

There was a clang, and Lysandre's footsteps faded. N lifted his head to the door, his eyes half open. His bracelet lay on the ground, right next to the door. The door was cracked open. N placed his hands on the ground.

"Who's… pathetic now?" he rasped. His body ached. His head pounded and spun. His vision was blurred. His skin felt incredibly hot; he could have sworn he heard the metal sizzle when he touched it. He strained to climb to his feet. Drops of sweat fell from his face and hit the ground. He leaned heavily against the wall. Slowly, he ambled to the door. He leaned over and picked up his bracelet. As he stood, a wave of intense nausea swept over him. He closed his eyes and leaned his head against the wall, taking deep breaths until the feeling lessened. He fit his bracelet back on his wrist with trembling fingers. Clutching his stomach, his side throbbing from the kick, N limped out of the cell. He closed the door behind him, careful not to make a loud sound.

N looked down the long, seemingly endless hallway. He took a deep, shaggy breath, adjusted the rim of his hat, and pressed forward.


	62. A Short Time Apart

I hopped from one tree branch to another and overlooked the forest path. I peered as far as the leaves and greenery would allow me. Once I finished looking from one spot, I jumped to another. Zoroark joined me, scouring the trees on the other side of the path. Unfortunately, we couldn't find Squishy.

" _You think it could be invisible?"_ Zoroark said.

" _More than likely. When it's not sleeping in Bonnie's bag, it's hiding somewhere from the human eye,"_ I said. _"I figured I would be able to see it, even when invisible, but I guess it's a special case. Or maybe it's just that good at hiding."_

" _Or maybe your abilities are getting a little rusty."_

" _I'm sticking with the first two options."_

Sundown came, but there was still no luck in finding Squishy. We regrouped at our campsite and sat around the fire. The glow of the flames illuminated the concern on our faces. Bonnie sat with her bowl of soup in her lap. She shuffled her feet constantly, and she stirred her soup with a blank stare.

"Bonnie," Clemont said. Bonnie lifted her eyes, "if you don't eat, you won't have enough energy to look for Squishy tomorrow." Bonnie's eyes fell to the fire. Clemont's face grew serious. "I wonder what Team Flare was talking about back at Terminus Cave. Something about 'Cells'."

"Those things that look like Squishy?" Serena said. "Maybe they're fragments of it that make it more powerful, like that new form it took on."

"More powerful indeed," I said. "It took out that platoon of Team Flare members with just one move, and it only used the Cells that were in that part of the cave. Imagine what it could become if it absorbed all the Cells in a forest, or on one continent... No wonder Team Flare is trying to capture it. It's too powerful for them to not have.

A bowl clattered against the ground. We looked and saw Bonnie on her feet, her fists clenched. Her bowl had fallen from her lap, and the soup inside had spilled onto the ground.

"Why are we sitting around talking about Squishy when we should be looking for it?! Team Flare could have found it by now. What if they're doing horrible things to it? What if it needs our help?!" she cried.

"Bonnie…" Serena said, standing up. "You need to calm down and think about this."

"I _have_ been thinking about it. I told Squishy I would protect it no matter what, and I've already lost it! We can't let Team Flare have Squishy! We have to keep looking for it!"

Bonnie turned on her heel and started to run into the forest.

"Bonnie!" Clemont cried.

I set my bowl down and sprang to my feet. I sprinted over and jumped in front of Bonnie. She crashed into me.

"You can't run off on your own!" I said, holding her shoulders.

"Let me go! Squishy needs our help!" Bonnie said. She thrashed under my grip for a few seconds before her tantrum calmed. She reached up and gripped my shirt with trembling fingers. She leaned forward and buried her face against my chest. Her shoulders heaved. "I told Squishy… that I would never let it go. Now it's out there somewhere, lost and probably scared. What kind of person does that make me?"

I rested my hands on her back and looked up at the others, who had stepped closer and watched with concern, especially Clemont. Our eyes met, and he fidgeted. I placed my hands on Bonnie's shoulders and pulled her away.

"I'm sure Squishy is fine. You saw how powerful it can get. I bet it would have no problem taking care of Team Flare," I said. "If anything, Squishy would be worried about _you_. It would want you to take care of yourself first; that includes eating your dinner. Wherever Squishy is, I bet it's waiting for us. But it wouldn't be too happy if it knew you were putting yourself in unnecessary danger to find it."

Bonnie wiped her tears and kept her head bowed. "Really?"

"Really." I patted Bonnie's head. "Now, let's get food in you and some sleep."

I stood and looked at Serena. She walked over, took Bonnie's hand, and led her back to the campsite. I heaved a sigh.

"I can't blame Bonnie for being concerned. I am, too," Clemont said. "The measures Team Flare is willing to go to catch Squishy… I don't even want to think about what they're up to."

"To fulfill their schemes, no doubt, and whatever their scheme is, it can't be good," Ash said. "I've seen it before. Team Plasma back in Unova used a hypnotic device to control Pokémon, including Rylee's dad. All the crime syndicates I've encountered were after powerful Pokémon, even legendaries."

I paused and looked out into the forest. "Legendaries, huh?"

"What's on your mind?" Clemont said.

"It just crossed my mind, but… could Squishy be a legendary Pokémon?" I said. "An undiscovered one at that: the Pokédex doesn't have any data on it, Professor Sycamore was clueless, and the only ones who do seem to know about it are us and Team Flare."

"Like what happened with Meloetta, then N and the Light Orb afterward?" Ash said. He chuckled. "Although N isn't a Pokémon, but… you know what I mean."

I nodded. "Exactly. All the more reason, I think, that we should keep Squishy out of Team Flare's hands. Bonnie's right; we should look for Squishy more fervently." I yawned. "Starting tomorrow."

* * *

~TPPOV~

" _Pursuit squad to Celosia."_

Celosia pressed a finger against the earpiece in her ear. "Report," she said.

" _The Guardian and her friends are still determined to find Z1,"_ a Team Flare grunt said. _"It appears they're starting to catch onto our plans."_

Celosia scoffed and lifted her finger off the earpiece for a moment to mumble, "Rotten brats," under her breath. "Continue your watch."

" _Yes, ma'am!"_ The line ended, and Celosia dropped her arm back to her side with a sigh.

"I guess we've underestimated them," Bryony said. The two scientists stood on a cliff overlooking the forest.

"Are you kidding me? They're children," Celosia said. "Mere bugs that need to be squashed."

"If you say so…"

Celosia activated her earpiece again. "Celosia to headquarters. Status on the prisoner."

" _He's gone!"_ a grunt on the other end said.

"What?!" Celosia cried, causing Bryony to jump. "What do you mean, he's gone?!"

" _We sent someone to check on him, and we found the door open. He's nowhere in headquarters…"_

"How the heck did you let someone in his condition slip out of your grasp?!"

" _Our humblest apologies, ma'am…"_

"Idiots! Find him! He can't have gotten far!" Celosia hung up the line and growled.

"Still believe we aren't underestimating them?" Bryony said.

"Shut _up_!" Celosia hissed. Bryony folded her arms.

* * *

Thick drops of sweat dripped from N's face as he leaned against a tree. Doubled over, he gasped for air. His energy had left him long ago, but his determination acted as a substitute. He used all of his strength to stand upright. Clutching his stomach, he took another step forward.

" _Have you located him?"_

Perched on a tree branch above, a creature identical to Squishy, save with a blue core on its torso instead of red, watched N. It grumbled in its unknown language as it watched N struggle to take more than three steps at a time.

" _Yes. The man is here. He escaped the people whom you said captured him. He does not fare well,"_ the creature said. _"I do not understand why you would task me with this."_

" _He saved my life. I wish that his be protected."_

" _For his own agenda, no doubt. Humans have no purpose, no reason, to do good unless for his or her personal gain."_

" _Worry not for him; do as I have asked."_

Despite the intense disgust in its eye, when N was getting a little far from reach, the creature hopped to the next branch.

" _First him, now those children. I will never understand your views."_

" _I do not expect you to."_

Slowly, the creature continued to follow N.

* * *

~RYLEE~

The next morning, we all awoke to Bonnie's scream. We leaped out of our sleeping bags and our tents.

"Bonnie! What's wrong?!" Clemont cried.

Bonnie turned, a huge grin on her face. "Look!" Bonnie faced us, her bag cradled in her hands. We peered inside the bag.

Squishy lay asleep inside the large pocket of her bag. Squishy shifted and looked over its shoulder at us.

"Squishy's back!" Serena said. "I guess it found _us_."

Bonnie lifted Squishy into her hands and set her bag aside. "Squishy," she said, "you had us all so worried. Don't run off like that again, okay?"

Squishy stared silently at Bonnie. Bonnie smiled and hugged Squishy tightly.


	63. Dance of the Fairies

At the Pokémon Center, Bonnie hummed quietly as she softly poked Squishy's smooth head. Squishy warbled under its breath as it slept quickly, oblivious to Bonnie's poking. I crouched next to her.

"I'm so glad we found Squishy," she said with a soft smile.

"It's more like Squishy found us," I chuckled. "But I'm also glad that it was before Team Flare could have gotten it."

Bonnie lifted her head and turned to me. "Why do you think Team Flare wants Squishy so badly?"

I looked at Squishy, who snoozed through our conversation. I patted Bonnie's head.

"I'm not entirely sure," I said. "I just know it's not good."

"Are you worried about your brother?"

I looked at Bonnie in surprise. "These are some rapid-fire questions." I lowered my arm and hugged my legs. "Yes, I am. You'd be worried if something happened to Clemont, wouldn't you?"

"I guess you're right." Bonnie perked up, her eyes twinkling. "But if he's your brother, then I bet he's just as awesome as you! I bet he's had no problem dealing with Team Flare. In fact, I bet he's already gotten away and kicked their butts while doing it!"

I smiled. "I bet." I stood, my smile slowly fading. I touched N's locket hanging next to mine. _I admire her optimism._

"Guys!" Serena called from the computer stations at the counter. We walked over and huddled around the screen. Pierre, the Pokémon Showcase host, was paused on screen with a single spotlight.

" _I trust that you are all training hard for the next Pokémon Showcase,"_ Pierre said. _"That is why I am extending a special invitation to all to a dance party, hosted by yours truly! There will be a special appearance by our Kalos Queen, Aria!"_

"A dance party?!" Bonnie bounced on her feet. "That sounds super fun! Let's go!"

" _There is, however, one condition,"_ Pierre continued. _"All attendees, Performers_ and _Pokémon, must register in pairs of one male and one female."_

"…Huh?! Like a…?!" Serena said, her face glowing bright red.

" _I'm looking forward to your attendance!"_ The video ended, and Serena turned around.

"So? Should we attend?" Ash said.

Serena paused to look at Ash. She smiled and nodded. "Yeah. Let's go!"

"Pierre said you had to go in pairs," Clemont said. "How are we going to divide it with two boys and one girl."

"I know!" Bonnie said. "Serena and Clemont can be one pair, and Ash and I can be another!"

"W-What? But…"

"That leaves Rylee, though," Ash said.

"I don't know if I'll be able to participate, since I'm not a performer," I said. "But just in case, Zoroark can be my date."

" _Me?_ " Zoroark said. " _I'm honored. But don't expect me to greet you with flowers._ "

"This is going to be so much fun!" Bonnie jumped in the air.

Serena and Clemont, however, didn't look as excited. "Yeah…" Clemont mumbled under his breath.

"What should we do about our Pokémon?" Serena said, quickly getting over her disappointment. She pulled out a PokéBall and summoned Eevee. She nuzzled Serena's ankle. Serena crouched and stroked her fur. "I want to go to this with Eevee."

"There will be a lot of people," I said. "Sylveon and Bunnelby can accompany her."

Eevee trotted over to Sylveon and yapped happily. Sylveon smiled.

"Eevee will need a partner," Clemont said. "Perhaps Chespin can-"

At the mention of Chespin's name, Eevee started to cower behind Sylveon. Sylveon placed a ribbon around Eevee's shoulders. Clemont sweatdropped.

"…Or not."

"Bunnelby should be Eevee's partner. She's more comfortable with him," I said. "We could have Pikachu be Sylveon's date."

"Does that sound okay?" Ash said. Pikachu, perched on his shoulder, nodded. He and Sylveon exchanged smiles.

Clemont called out Bunnelby. Bunnelby joined Eevee and Sylveon.

"Looks like we've got our pairs," Ash said. "This could be fun."

"It will be!" Bonnie said. "I can't wait to dance until my feet hurt!"

* * *

We arrived at the mansion where the dance was to be held. There was a large crowd of people, Performers, Pokémon, and their dates, waiting for the doors to open.

"So how are you going to have Zoroark be your date?" Serena said. "They won't allow your partner to be a Pokémon."

"They would if they didn't _know_ she was a Pokémon," I said.

Zoroark leaped off my shoulder as her body glowed magenta. She stood in a new form, similar to her human form but male. She wore a red shirt with a black vest on top, jean capris with a black belt, and the same black combat boots with red laces. The teal bangle that you would find at the end of her hair was on her left wrist. Because of her evolution, her hair was predominantly maroon. Black was mixed in, not very much, but enough where you could point it out. Despite her long hair, this form's haircut was short and neatly cut.

" _Hm,_ " Zoroark straightened her vest. She looked at us. " _This is weird._ "

"I'll say," I said. I patted her shoulder. She was a couple inches taller than me in this form. "It'll only be for a little while."

Once they did, we filed into the foyer, which had plenty of space to hold us all. It made me curious as to how big the other rooms were. We registered for the dance. I was still able to participate, despite not being a performer. We were directed to the wardrobe room, which had multiple rows of dresses and suits.

"Wow!" Serena cried. "How am I possibly going to choose just one?"

"The dance is only a few hours," Bonnie said. "You better make up your mind."

We split up to find our outfits. I skimmed through the dresses, which came in many different colors and styles.

" _I like this one!_ " Zoroark hurried over to me and held up a black suit.

"It's very simple," I said.

" _You should have seen the other ones,_ " Zoroark said. She held up the tuxedo to her body and examined her reflection in a nearby mirror. " _I'm pretty sure I saw a neon pink suit._ "

"I think it would have complimented your eyes."

Zoroark rolled her eyes. " _Have you found a dress yet?_ "

"No. Serena was right; it's hard to pick one."

Zoroark draped the suit over her arm and searched another rack of dresses.

" _Does this look familiar?_ " Zoroark said. I turned as Zoroark pulled a dress from the rack.

I dropped my arms. "Again?" I walked over and took the Celebi-inspired dress from Zoroark's hands. "What is this, the third time? I swear this dress is sentient and following me everywhere."

" _Well?_ " Zoroark said.

I rolled my eyes. "Go change."

I went to the dressing rooms and changed into the dress. I kept my hair down. As I stepped out of the dressing room, Zoroark approached me, dressed in the tuxedo. She handed me a teal flower hairpin, which matched her bangle. I took it and inserted it into the side of my hair. Sylveon, because of the bows that were part of her body, didn't need accessorizing.

" _You'd think this was a costume party,_ " Zoroark said. She offered her arm. I looped my arm through hers, and we headed to the ballroom.

The ballroom was over twice as large as the foyer. Performers and their partners had trickled into the room.

"There you are!" Bonnie hurried over, dressed in an orange gown. "You both look great!"

Ash and Clemont joined us. Ash and Clemont wore the same kind of suit as Zoroark, with Ash's blue and Clemont's green. Bunnelby wore a pink bowtie. Pikachu wore a light blue bowtie.

"These clothes are awfully tight…" Ash tugged at his collar.

"You look nice," I said.

"Thanks."

Clemont stared at me, a light blush on his cheeks.

"Is something wrong?" I said.

"Nothing," Clemont said. He rubbed the back of his neck. "You look beautiful."

I smiled. "Thank you."

"Sorry to keep you all waiting!" Serena hurried to join the group, dressed in a sleeveless red gown. Eevee trotted behind, wearing a small white headband with a pink bow. She scurried over to Sylveon and Bunnelby with a wagging tail. They complimented one another's accessories.

"That's a beautiful dress, Serena," Bonnie said.

"Yeah, you look great!" Ash said.

Serena blushed. "Thank you. I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it."

The ballroom lights dimmed. Two spotlights appeared at the stairs, one over Pierre and Aria, and the second over their Pokémon, Delphox and Klefki. Pierre towered over Aria.

" _How tall is he?_ " Zoroark leaned in and whispered. She moved her mouth to make it seem like she was speaking, even though her voice was telepathic.

"I'd say somewhere in the six-foot range," I said. "Maybe seven-foot range."

"Ladies and gentlemen! Thank you for attending my dance party!" Pierre said. "Please let me introduce your Kalos Queen, Aria!"

Aria stepped forward and curtsied. "Hello, everyone!"

The performers around us gazed breathlessly at Aria. Pierre took Aria's hand, and the two descended the staircase. On the ground floor, the spotlights still on them, they and their Pokémon began to dance. They stopped, the lights came back on, and we applauded. Pierre and Aria bowed.

"Now, the dance floor is yours," Pierre said. "Please have a wonderful time."

Couples filed onto the dance floor.

"Come on, Ash!" Bonnie grabbed Ash's hand and tugged him onto the dance floor.

"Good luck trying to get me to dance well," Ash said.

Serena watched Ash enter the dance floor. "Want to dance?" she said, holding a hand to Clemont.

"Sure," he said. He took her hand, and they joined in the dancing.

Zoroark offered her hand, and I took it. Classical music played softly as couples twirled around the room. I scanned the ballroom floor. Bunnelby and Eevee danced around each other while Sylveon watched with Pikachu. The two dancing Pokémon looked over, at each other, then hurried to Sylveon and Pikachu. With bright smiles, they grabbed them and pulled them onto the dance floor. Bonnie was surprisingly patient with Ash as he stumbled around with two left feet. Clemont and Serena swayed slowly. Clemont's eyes occasionally darted around the room, sometimes landing on me.

"This is nice," I said. "It looks like everyone's enjoying themselves."

" _It's a break we all deserve,_ " Zoroark said. I looked at Zoroark. " _A lot has happened so far. I think it's only supposed to escalate from here._ "

I sighed quietly through my nose. "I just hope we'll be ready for it. I hope _I'll_ be ready for it…"

" _You've handled things like this before. What are you worried about?_ "

"I thought I'd be totally prepared for when Team Flare struck. I kept that mentally up until they actually came, and they destroyed Sylveon in a matter of seconds due to my overconfidence." I looked at Sylveon, who spun around in circles with Eevee. I could hear their laughter from here. "And now they have N. Who knows what they've done to him?" I tightened my grip on Zoroark's shoulder. "Keanan was right. I've been relying too much on my heart when I should be using my head."

Zoroark looked off towards the wall and shrugged. " _Maybe. But a Pokémon Guardian who doesn't rely on their heart is doing their job wrong. They can't protect someone if they don't care about them, and they can't fight if they don't have something or someone to fight for._ " Zoroark looked at me. " _If you didn't rely on your heart, you wouldn't be the person you are- someone kind, loyal, and faithful._ "

I gawked at Zoroark. "Wow," I said. "I didn't know you were this deep."

" _I'm just quoting what Clemont said to Keanan back at the Wetlands._ Man, _Keanan was steamed, but Clemont defended you._ "

I perked up and searched the ballroom. Clemont and Serena had started a conversation. My gaze softened.

" _He's matured a lot since he met you._ "

"It's like I'm watching my child grow up," I said. "Is it possible to have empty nest syndrome at 19 years old?"

Zoroark rolled her eyes. The music stopped, and so did the dancing.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Pierre said. "If we may have all our participants gather in two circles: boys on the outer circle and girls on the inner circle. We will now proceed with partner rotation dancing. At the end of every dance, the girls will move to the left, and the dance begins again."

We followed the instructions, and the music began. A soft voice sang a familiar song with orchestral accompaniment. Steadily, we moved from partner to partner. The music ended, along with the rotation dancing, and we applauded.

"We hope you enjoyed that," Pierre said. He held his cane in one hand, Klefki burrowed at the top. "Now, it's time for today's main event: a tag battle! When you registered, you received a card. Please hold your card up towards the chandelier above. Those whose cards surface a mark are challengers. Your tag battle partner will be the one with the matching mark."

We held our cards up towards the chandelier. We heard disappointed sighs from those who had regular cards. Ash and Serena, however, had matching marks on their cards. Their opponents were two other attendees. The dance floor cleared and changed into a battlefield. Ash and Serena stood on one side, and their opponents on the other. They summoned their Pokémon.

"Battle, begin!" Pierre, as the referee, called.

The battle began. The opposing team attacked first with their Inkay and Slurpuff, and Pikachu and Eevee dodged and attacked. I stood on the sidelines with Clemont and Bonnie.

"Have you been enjoying the dance?" Clemont said.

I glanced at Clemont, then turned back to the battle. "Yes, I have. What about you?"

Clemont nodded. "Yeah."

I looked at Clemont again. "Are you sure? You don't sound like you have."

Clemont adjusted his collar. "I… I mean, I'm not completely against coming here as Serena's partner, but…" Clemont met my gaze. "I wanted to come to the dance with you."

My eyes widened, and I straightened. "Oh."

"Eevee!" Serena cried. We turned our attention back to the battle. Eevee had taken a direct hit from Inkay's Psybeam. Eevee tumbled to the ground and landed in front of Serena. Serena dropped to her knees.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" As Slurpuff threw an Energy Ball at Eevee, Pikachu countered with Thunderbolt.

Serena's eyes trembled. "Eevee, are you okay?" she whispered. She reached out and gently placed a hand on Eevee. She glanced up at Ash as he and Pikachu continued to fight against Inkay and Slurpuff. She squeezed her eyes shut and bowed her head. Her hand trembled. Eevee slowly opened her eyes and looked at Serena. "I'm sorry, Eevee. I'm always powerless in these situations." Serena's face relaxed, and she opened her eyes. "But that's not what you need right now. I've learned that it's important to greet every situation, no matter how difficult, with a smile. A smile alone can strengthen yourself and others." Serena met Eevee's gaze and smiled. "It may not be much, but… I hope that my strength can become yours."

From Eevee's collar, an opaque, light blue ribbon reached out and curled around Serena's arm. My eyes widened.

"Is that…?" I said.

" _Is she…?_ " Sylveon said. I looked down at Sylveon, who watched Eevee with wide, shimmering eyes.

Eevee climbed to her feet as her body glowed blue. She slowly turned to face Serena as the light consumed her. The light reflected off Serena and illuminated her eyes. Eevee's body began to change, and more ribbons stretched from her. The light subsided, and Eevee now stood as a Sylveon.

Serena stared at Sylveon. Tears filled her eyes, and a bright smile spread across her lips. She stood.

"How are you holding up?" Serena asked Ash.

Ash smiled. "I've been waiting for you."

The enemy Slurpuff threw another Energy Ball.

"Dodge it!"

Instead of moving out of the way, Sylveon swirled her ribbons and created a shimmering pink tornado that shredded the Energy Ball.

" _That's Fairy Wind!_ " Sylveon was hopping in place, barely able to contain her excitement.

"Use Fairy Wind again!"

With another Fairy Wind, the tornado slammed into Slurpuff and Inkay, sending them both into the wall on the other end of the ballroom.

"Slurpuff and Inkay are both unable to battle! The winners of this tag battle are Ash and Serena!"

At his announcement, Sylveon darted onto the battlefield and threw her ribbons around Serena's Sylveon.

" _I can't believe you evolved!_ " Sylveon said. " _I'm so proud of you!_ "

Serena's Sylveon beamed as she returned the hug. Ash scratched the back of his head.

"It's going to be a little confusing having two Sylveons in our group…" he said.

"You're right…" Serena said. An idea hatched in her eyes. She crouched to her Sylveon's level. She stroked her cheek. "How about Nymphia? That's Sylveon's name in Japanese. Do you like it?" Nymphia nodded enthusiastically and wrapped her ribbons around Serena's arm. Serena smiled. "You battled beautifully, Nymphia."

"You know," I said as the rest of us approached Ash and Serena. "Eevee only evolves into Sylveon by having a strong bond with their trainer."

"Really?" Serena looked at Nymphia as she chattered with Bunnelby and Sylveon. She smiled and stood.

"That concludes this dance party! I want to thank you all for coming!" Pierre said from the top of the staircase. "Before you leave, there is one final bit of information I think you'll all be interested in. It's time to reveal the location of the next Pokémon Showcase!"

Pierre stretched his arms out, and a large hologram of a city appeared.

"The next Pokémon Showcase will be in Fleurrh City!"

"Fleurrh City!" Serena held her hands tightly in front of her. "I only need one more Princess Key to qualify for Master Class."

"You'll win it for sure!" Bonnie said.

"Bonnie's right," Ash said. "You're going to snag that Princess Key, no problem!"

Serena smiled. She turned to Nymphia and crouched once more. "Nymphia," she said. "I want us to make it to Master Class. I hope you'll continue to believe in me."

Nymphia purred and nodded.


	64. Stories Collide

Sitting on a bench sidelining a battlefield near the Pokémon Center, Bonnie, Serena, and I watched a battle between Ash and Sawyer, whom we had met on our way to the Pokémon Center. Clemont stood on the edge of the field and refereed. Hawlucha stood proudly as Sawyer's Sheldon lay on the ground, unconscious. He returned his Pokémon and called out Honedge.

"Oooh," I propped my chin in my hand, "he caught a Honedge?"

Ash sent out Pikachu. With one Iron Tail, Pikachu rendered Honedge unconscious. Zoroark hid a snicker.

"That… was nice while it lasted…" I said.

Finally, Sawyer sent out Sceptile, which had evolved from Grovyle. With a smile, Ash called out Greninja.

"But Greninja is at a type disadvantage against Sceptile," Serena said. "Why is he sending it out?"

"That's what Ash does: always making things difficult for himself," I chuckled. My smile quickly faded. "Now that Greninja's out, I bet the strange phenomenon that's been happening will appear again." I shifted my legs and planted my feet on the ground. Every time the phenomenon appeared, it's taken a toll on both Greninja _and_ Ash. We still have no clue what's going on. If it appears again, who knows what it could spell for Ash and Greninja.

I watched the battle as Sceptile and Greninja fought intensely. Sceptile used Leaf Storm and trapped Greninja midair within the torrent. As we watched him hover, someone else caught my eye.

On the other side of the battlefield, standing above on the path, was a boy with black hair and blue eyes. He wore a black jacket with two layers of shirts- the bottom white and the top purple- underneath, dark, fingerless gloves, and a light blue, fluffy scarf. His eyes, however, were not on the battle. They were on me. I stared back, and our gazes locked into a contest.

" _Who's that guy?"_ Zoroark said.

"No idea," I said, "but he's staring at me for some reason."

" _What's his deal?"_

"I wish I knew."

"Greninja!" Ash called as his Pokémon lay on the ground. "You can still keep going, right? Let's show them how powerful you really are!"

At that key phrase, I tore my eyes away from the boy and to the battle. Greninja climbed back to its feet, tossed its head back, and roared. A torrent of water exploded around him, swirling at unthinkable speeds. Sawyer and Sceptile's jaws dropped. I glanced at the boy above. His gaze had also switched to Greninja. He looked down at his wrist and at something I couldn't see from here. I turned back to the battle.

"Aerial Ace!"

Greninja crouched and pushed off its feet, the movement so impactful and powerful it left a broken crater where it once stood. It soared towards Sceptile and swung its legs around to kick it. Sceptile brought its arms up to block it. Greninja leaped around Sceptile at incredible speeds. As Sceptile tried to follow, Greninja landed once more in front of Sceptile and slammed its leg into its torso. Sceptile was launched back into the wall, shattering the stone around it. Chunks of stone flew into the air and rained around Sceptile. Slumped against the wall, yet still standing, Sceptile was unconscious. Slowly, it slid down the wall and crumbled to the ground.

"Sceptile is unable to battle! Greninja is the winner!" Clemont called. "The winner of this match is Ash!"

The water torrent receded. Ash and Greninja both lost their balance and fell on their knees.

"Are you okay, Ash?" Bonnie called.

"Yeah," Ash said, "I'm a little tired, though."

* * *

Back at the Pokémon Center, Ash and Sawyer healed their Pokémon. Once they were healed, Sawyer parked Ash on a bench and sat across from him. With his notebook open and a pen ready, he leaned forward, nearly closing the distance between them.

"Ash," Sawyer said, "you _have_ to tell me what happened with Greninja. I've never seen anything like it before!"

Ash scratched the back of his head. "It's… hard to explain…" he said. "I don't even know what's going on. We're battling normally, then suddenly, I can see what Greninja is seeing. I'm not aware of myself until the battle is over, and when I am, I feel exhausted."

Sawyer scribbled Ash's words into his notebook almost as quickly as Ash was saying them. "Then you don't see Greninja's appearance change?"

"No."

"Or how it was enveloped in water?"

"No."

"And you have no idea how it happens?"

"That's correct. It hasn't happened often; I can count all the times on one hand."

"Whatever is happening, it's like Ash and Greninja become one and the same," I said, my arms folded.

"With what you're telling me, it's almost like you _become_ Greninja," Sawyer said.

Ash perked in surprise, then he laughed. "That sounds a little bit extreme. Although, becoming a Pokémon sounds awesome."

Sawyer leaned back and tapped his pen against his chin. "I've heard that the deeper the bond between a Trainer and a Pokémon gets, the more similar they become," he said. "Maybe this is what's happening to you. Because your bond with Greninja is so strong, you become 'one and the same,' like Rylee said- so similar that you become the same being."

Ash shifted, fished Greninja's Poké Ball from his pocket, and looked at it.

"Maybe that's it," Ash said. "It kind of makes sense."

"Remember Olympia's vision?" Serena said. "She said you and Greninja would be able to achieve further greatness and power. She must have been talking about this."

"She also said if it wasn't handled carefully, it could lead to trouble," Clemont said. He adjusted his glasses. "This is an interesting phenomenon we're dealing with, but it's not something that should be taken lightly. We need to keep looking into this and find out what's really going on."

Ash nodded. "You're right. I don't want to risk something bad happening." He tucked the Poké Ball back in his pocket and stood. "Thanks, Sawyer. I'm glad we ran into you; you've placed us one step closer to figuring this whole thing out."

Sawyer smiled. "I'm glad I could help. _And_ I'm glad I could witness it for myself." Sawyer stood and held out a hand. "If I ever see you again, I want to battle Greninja and see how much you've improved since. I hope next time, I can see what's hiding behind the water."

Ash clasped Sawyer's hand and shook it. "I'm looking forward to that day as well."

* * *

~TPPOV~

Collapsed on his knees, N heaved breathlessly. Everything in his body hurt; his head pounded; his stomach sloshed; his skin crawled and trembled. His heart hadn't ceased its painful palpitations. Despite this, his face was no longer sweaty, save a few drops still clinging to his cheeks. He had no more water _to_ sweat.

" _He looks pathetic."_

Squishy's twin watched N from a tree branch above. Its eye was half-closed with disinterest.

" _In this condition he's in, if he doesn't get help, he will die."_

" _You mustn't let that happen,"_ Squishy's voice echoed sternly.

The creature rolled its eye. _"One less human to waste my energy over."_

N could no longer walk. Slowly, he dragged himself on his knees across the forest path. He ignored the rough patches of dirt and pebbles digging through his pants. N painfully lifted his head. The stung his blurry eyes. He squinted to see the path before him. Trees and shrubbery decorated all sides of him; there was no clearing in sight. N swallowed, which failed to soothe his bone-dry mouth and throat.

The ground behind him exploded, and N was flung into the air. He landed flat on his back. The air ripped from his chest. A cough shook his lungs, and blood spurted from his mouth. He gasped for air, but it was nearly too painful. N rolled to his side and looked up.

"Found you!" Walking down the path to meet N was another Team Flare admin, Mable. Her dark teal hair was kept up in ringlets on the side of her head. Her lips were painted with the same color and curled in an excited smile. The top of her uniform was the same as the other admins, but the bottoms were a skirt with red shorts underneath. Her red heeled boots reached over her knees. A Houndoom walked by of her side. "You caused a lot of trouble for us. I bet Aliana on who would find you first. She owes me lunch!"

N clenched his fists weakly as he tried to move. Mable placed her hands on her hips and leaned over.

"You don't look so good," Mable said. She lowered to a crouch, cupped N's chin in her hand, and lifted his eyes to hers, which were hidden behind a gray visor. "Maybe if you come quietly, we can do something about that nasty poison. It's ruining your handsome face."

With a burst of strength, N swatted Mable's hand away. Houndoom growled with bared teeth. Fire curled from its mouth.

"There, there, Houndoom," Mable stroked Houndoom's head. Houndoom calmed down, "he's just a little grumpy. We'll just wait for Aliana to get here and take him away; it's not like he's going anywhere."

N gritted his teeth, wincing quietly from the aching.

* * *

~RYLEE~

Ash stood from the table and stretched. "Man, I love the Center's food. Of course, nothing beats Clemont's cooking."

"Please, you're going to make me blush," Clemont smiled.

"You must've been really tired last night," Serena said. "You skipped dinner and went straight to bed."

Ash chuckled. "Yeah, I was. I'll have to make up my eating today."

"I don't think that's how it works," Bonnie sweatdropped.

We finished eating, stacked our plates in the designated area, and made our way to the entrance.

"Excuse me," a voice said behind us. We turned, and the spectator from yesterday approached us. This time, he kept his eyes on Ash. "I saw your battle yesterday. I've never seen anything like your Greninja before."

"Oh, thanks," Ash said. "I was so wrapped up in my battle, I didn't notice anyone else watching."

"If I may," the boy said, "I'd like to have a battle with you…" The boy lifted his wrist, the one I saw him check yesterday, and revealing a Key Stone resting inside a black cuff. The Key Stone shimmered under the overhead lights. "My Charizard can Mega Evolve. I hope I'll be able to utilize it."

Ash stared at the Key Stone, then lifted his eyes to the boy. He smiled. "Sure! Let's battle!"

" _He didn't even ask for his name,_ " Zoroark said.

"That's Ash for you," Bonnie said.

The boy lowered his arm, and his glance shifted to me once more. However, his eyes didn't meet mine, instead lingering on something else. He turned on his heel, and he and Ash walked out of the Pokémon Center.

I looked down at the lockets around my neck, then back at the door.

* * *

The two boys stood on either side of the battlefield. Overnight, they had patched up the gashes Greninja left in yesterday's battle, which impressed me. Ash called out Greninja, and the boy called out his Charizard. A black and gray metal cuff rested around Charizard's neck. In the center of the cuff was Charizardite X, which was solid blue.

"Please, don't hold back on us," the boy said.

"As long as you do the same for us," Ash said, stretching his arms.

"Battle, begin!" Clemont, as the referee once more, called.

"Good luck, Ash!" Serena and Bonnie cheered.

I, on the other hand, kept my eyes on the boy and his Charizard. Despite him being a stranger to me, he keeps looking at me like he knows who I am. _Who is this kid?_

"Greninja, use Water Shuriken!"

Greninja slapped its thighs as shurikens formed, and it threw them at Charizard.

"Dragon Claw!"

Charizard thrust its arms to the side as green energy covered them. It swiped its arms in an X and sliced through the water shurikens. They splattered and soaked the plants behind the boy.

"Whoa," Serena said. "I don't think this boy is an amateur."

"With a Key and Mega Stone, of course not," I said.

"Use Cut!"

Greninja gripped a thin rod of white energy and lunged at Charizard. Charizard swiped its arm to deflect Greninja's attack.

"Use Flamethrower!"

As Greninja was midair, Charizard opened its mouth and unleashed a thick column of flames which consumed Greninja. Greninja fell from the flames and landed on his feet, but a moment later, it fell to its knees.

The boy pressed his fingers against his Key Stone. The Key Stone and the Charizardite X around Charizard's neck glowed. "This is only beginning. I want to see what you're truly capable of," he said. He raised his arm in the air. Magenta energy consumed Charizard. Its wings grew larger and more jagged. The light faded. Instead of orange, Charizard's colors had changed to black and blue. Blue flames curled from the sides of Charizard's mouth. Even its eye color changed, from blue to maroon.

"A black Charizard?" Bonnie gasped. "It looks so cool!"

"Dragon Claw!"

Charizard leaped into the air as green energy consumed its arms. It dove towards Greninja.

"Use Cut!"

Greninja pushed off its feet and stood as Charizard flew down to meet it. It summoned a rod of white energy and brought it up to block. They both jumped away.

"Double Team!"

"Flamethrower!"

Greninja jumped into the air and copies of it appeared around the battlefield. Charizard opened its mouth and spewed scorching blue fire into the air, destroying the clones. Smoke and blue flames mixed together in a thick cloud.

"Aerial Ace!"

Greninja burst through the cloud of smoke and dove towards Charizard.

"Thunder Punch!"

Charizard brought up its fist. Electricity crackled around it. Charizard reared its arm back and thrust it into Greninja's torso. The impact created a boom of thunder. Greninja was launched back. It slammed against the ground once as it tumbled. It twisted its body and landed on one knee. Electricity crackled around its body.

"Use Thunder Punch again!"

"Use Water Shuriken!"

Greninja climbed to its feet, but Charizard was already in front of it. It swiped its arm, nailing Greninja with an uppercut. Greninja soared through the air and fell flat on its back.

"Greninja!" Ash called. "Are you all right?! You can get back up! Show them what you're really made of! Show them how powerful you truly are!"

I folded my arms and crossed one leg over the other. _Here it comes._ I looked to the boy, whose lips twitched with a smile he struggled to contain.

Once more, Greninja stood on its feet, threw back its head, and roared. This roar echoed louder than yesterday's. The water torrent gushed from the ground, swirling up into the sky until I couldn't see the top.

The boy glanced at his Key Stone, then back at Greninja. His knit his eyebrows.

"Aerial Ace!"

What I was convinced was the exact same spot, Greninja left a crater in its wake as it pushed off its feet.

"Fly up, Charizard!"

Charizard extended its wings and took off into the air. As it flew over Greninja, Greninja, leaped off its feet and rammed into Charizard's chin. I cringed and rubbed my chin.

"Thunder Punch!"

"Cut!"

Charizard recovered and threw back its fist. Greninja did the same. They landed on the ground, and their attacks met in a frenzy of water and electricity. For a moment, the water torrent opened.

"Blast Burn!"

Charizard jumped back as its body glowed with blue flames. With a roar, it slammed its fist into the ground. The battlefield was torn apart as dirt and rocks were uprooted. Flames, red instead of blue, gushed from the cracks of the rocks, eventually making their way to Greninja in one fiery explosion. Amidst the commotion, I heard Greninja's cry. The battlefield was covered in thick, black smoke, hiding the Pokémon as well as their Trainer's. It took over a minute before the smoke cleared and we could see.

Greninja lay on the ground, unconscious and reverted to its original form. Ash, with an exhausted breath, fell on his butt. Sweat dripped from his face.

"Greninja is unable to battle. Charizard wins!" Clemont said. "The winner of this match is the challenger!"

Charizard reverted to its original form. The boy approached Charizard and placed a hand on its shoulder with a smile. "Good work," he said.

Ash climbed to his feet and walked over to Greninja as it sat up. "Are you all right?" he said. Greninja nodded. Ash looked up at the challenger. "That was really intense. You and your Charizard are really strong."

"Your Greninja is very impressive as well," the boy said.

"Can I count on us battling another time?"

The boy nodded. "Sure."

"Great! In the meantime, we'll work harder and become even stronger!" Ash smiled. "Oh." He helped Greninja stand. "In all my excitement, I didn't catch your name."

"It's about time," Bonnie grumbled.

Ash held out a hand. "My name is Ash."

The boy raised his hand and gripped Ash's.

"My name is Alain."

A deadly chill slithered down my spine like a venomous snake. I stood so abruptly, Zoroark tumbled off my shoulder and onto the bench.

"Rylee-?" Serena said.

I was already making my way to the battlefield. Ash turned his head towards me, and his smile faded.

"Ry-"

I shoved Ash back, ripping their clasped hands apart. Ash lost his balance and fell on his butt. With my other hand, I snagged a large handful of the front of Alain's shirt and scarf. I heard a quiet choke escape his throat; I nearly held him in the air. My fingers trembled as I gripped his clothing tighter.

"Where is he?" I said, my voice barely above a whisper. I lifted my eyes, which felt incredibly hot. I inhaled deeply. "Where is N?! _Where is my brother_?!"

The air was still. My friends watched in horrified silence. Alain's face remained stoic. I glared at the boy. My fingers ached, but I held on tighter. They were as white as ghosts.

"I thought you were his friend," my voice trembled. "But you let them take him. Now, Team Flare has their slimy hands all over him." Alain's face hardened. I threw Alain to the ground. "Tell me where they're keeping him."

Alain did nothing but stare. His silence boiled my insides.

" _Tell me_!"

Hands and arms grabbed me and jerked me back. I was knocked to the ground.

"That's enough, Rylee!" I heard Clemont say through my foggy hearing. Bonnie was the only friend in my vision, her hands clamped over my right hand. She looked at me with pleading, trembling eyes. It was then that I noticed the sword made of Protect.

Alain stood and brushed the dirt off his clothes. He pulled a Poké Ball from his pocket, returned Charizard, and tucked it away. He looked down at us, at me. Our eyes met only for a moment before Alain, without a word, turned, ascended the stone steps out of the battlefield, and left.

* * *

~TPPOV~

"There you are," Aliana, a Team Flare Admin with orange hair and a black visor, emerged from the trees and stood next to Mable. Their uniforms were styled the same, save Aliana's boots reached to mid-calf. Light orange socks reached up to her thighs, with white dots on the knees. "Looks like you found him before I did."

"Yup!" Mable said. "I won!"

"Darn it." Aliana placed a hand on her hip and looked down at N. "He looks terrible. Remind me never to stand in the way of Drapion's Toxic."

"Come on! Let's drag him back to headquarters before Lysandre gets impatient."

"Right. I don't want to get stuck on cleaning duty again." Aliana shuddered from a painful memory.

"Up you go!" Mable and Aliana stood on both sides of N, grabbed his arms, and lifted him to his feet. N wanted to struggle, he wanted to fight them off and get away, but all the energy and strength from his body was gone. He was reduced to a hollow body that felt heavy like a boulder. "Lysandre's going to be so happy to see you again!"

"Maybe happy's not the right word to use…" Aliana said.

"Okay, then… He'll be happier with _us_ once he sees you again!"

"Much better."

They took the first step. A chill bit at N's ankles. Something cold stung his arms and face. A mist hung in the air. Houndoom's ears perked. It roared as its head snapped towards the sky, and it launched a Flamethrower at an unknown enemy.

A shrill cry filled the air. Houndoom's eyes widened, and a second later, a dark purple beam of ice hit it, encasing it completely in dark ice.

"Houndoom!" Mable immediately dropped her side of N, leaving Aliana to stumble with the sudden weight, and ran to her frozen Pokémon. The ice cracked and shattered, and Houndoom collapsed to the ground, unconscious. "Hey! What gives you the right to do that to my Pokémon?!"

A strong gust of wind kicked up. Aliana and Mable tried to stand their ground, but the powerful wind swept them off their feet and threw them deep into the trees.

Without someone holding him up, N started to fall. However, a pair of arms caught him before he hit the ground. A large, warm body stood over him and shielded him from the sun. It rumbled with a soft growl. Carefully, N was lifted into their arms. They were plated with hard material, but N was so exhausted he didn't care.

With his face turned towards the sky, he peeled his eyes open. Through the sliver of sight he had, mixed with his blurry vision, he could only make out a shadow standing next to him.

In the air, however, a large, majestic blue beast hovered, blowing a gentle, cooling breeze that caressed his face. Against his will, his eyes closed. He slumped against the warm body cradling him. The shadow engulfed him, and darkness consumed his mind and his thoughts.


	65. A Forest of Opportunity

I glanced often at my friends. None had spoken since yesterday- at least, not to me. We had long left the forest and traversed across a hot, spacious, rocky plain. I uttered a sigh.

"Guys…" I said to break the silence. We stopped. The others looked back at me. "I'm really sorry about what happened yesterday. I didn't think I'd get so angry to see Alain…"

"It was scary," Bonnie whispered.

My heart ached. "I know. There's nothing I can say to try and justify my actions. I'm sorry."

"What does Alain have to do with your brother, anyway?" Serena said.

"They were traveling together, before Team Flare..." I sighed. "I had noticed before how N's demeanor changed whenever he brought up Alain… I wish I had questioned him sooner. Any hope I have of knowing his whereabouts is gone. He's not going to want to come anywhere near us now." I turned to Ash. "Sorry I ruined your chances of having another battle with him."

Ash folded his arms. "Do you really believe I'm that obsessed with battling?"

"Well… aren't you?"

"…Yes… but this is obviously more important. Alain was perhaps one of the last people N spoke to before Team Flare captured him. Now that we know who he is, we can keep an eye out for him. The next time we meet, we can get answers."

" _If_ we meet…"

" _When_ we meet."

I stared at Ash. He flashed a wide grin. I looked around at the others, and they also smiled.

"You guys…" I said.

Serena pulled out her Town Map. "Let's keep moving. The Pokémon Center should be on the other side."

Standing still, the sun bore against my back. Zoroark had abandoned my shoulder to, quote, "Dry her fur of my sweat." I pulled my hair up in a ponytail to keep it off my neck.

"We'll find him," Clemont said, stepping to my side. "Alain _and_ your brother."

I looked to Clemont, prepared to retort with a doubtful comment. He, however, brimmed with confidence. I assumed he would be suffering the most in this heat, given his lack of physical fitness and the jumpsuit he wore, but only a thin line of sweat rested on his brow. He looked at me and smiled.

"What makes you say that?" I said.

Clemont shrugged and started to walk. "Can't I be optimistic?"

I stared at the back of his head. "Is it me, or… is he up to something?" I said.

" _I think so,_ " Zoroark said. " _I haven't seen an invention of his explode in a long time._ "

We caught up to the others, and we continued to traverse the plains. They looked exactly the same, no matter how long or how far we traveled. With each step, the sun grew hotter and hotter. I raised my hand up like I was carrying a server's tray, and a slab of Protect formed above us. It sufficiently blocked the sun, and we sighed with relief.

After a few more minutes of walking, we saw something in the distance. To ensure it wasn't a mirage, we drew closer.

"What is that?" Bonnie squinted to try and see better. "It kind of looks like a-"

"A robot!" Clemont cried abruptly.

A small, green robot dug a trowel into the dry dirt. It put it away, stretched its hand out, and spewed a few seeds from its fingertips into the hole. Its other hand, which was a gardening hoe, covered the shoveled dirt back over the seeds. It moved a few feet and repeated the process. Up close, we could see how old the robot was. Dings, dents, and scratches from incidents and weather decorated the outer armor.

"A robot sowing seeds in this place?" I said. "The seeds won't grow in this dry environment."

"It's kind of cute, though," Bonnie said. "Hello!"

 **"Good afternoon."** The voice came from the robot.

"Wow!" Clemont cried. "It has an AI!" The robot scooted along. "I wonder if someone gave it commands to grow seeds."

Speaking of seeds, a cluster of Bullet Seeds hit the ground next to us and kicked up dust and dry clumps of dirt. We lifted our eyes and saw a Chesnaught standing on a rock above us.

"What the…? A Chesnaught?" Ash said. "Hey! Why did you attack us?"

Chesnaught roared and barreled down the hill. A blue stream of light trickled out of Clemont's pocket, and Chespin stood in front of us.

" _Don't worry, guys,_ " Chespin took a few steps and placed its hands confidently on its hips, " _I'll take care of this!_ "

Chesnaught continued its charge. Chespin's confidence quickly crumbled. When it was a few feet away, Chespin yelped and scurried away. Chesnaught chased after it. Chespin hid behind a rock, but Chesnaught swung its arm and demolished it. Chespin ran back towards us. Chesnaught stopped, opened its mouth, and spewed another hail of Bullet Seed at us. We cried out and jumped out of the way. We scrambled behind a nearby rock. Chesnaught walked over to the robot and faced our direction, glaring menacingly at the rock.

"Is Chesnaught trying to protect the robot?" Bonnie said. "We weren't going to do anything to it."

"Chesnaught doesn't know that," Serena said.

"Maybe whoever gave commands to the robot to plant seeds also instructed Chesnaught to protect the robot from anyone who would interfere," Clemont said.

" _Hey,_ " Chespin called. It waved from a cliff edge near where we hid, " _look over here._ "

We followed Chespin to the cliff edge. On the plain below was a building. It was extremely worn down, with over half of the roof damaged or missing. The large satellite was crooked, and the solar panels standing near the building were battered and worn from years of standing in the scorching sun.

"Think that could be connected to the robot somehow?" Ash said.

"It's possible," Clemont said. "Let's go check it out."

Summoning a platform of Protect, the others and I lowered to the ground below and approached the building. A large chunk of the door was missing, allowing us to walk in. The sun leaked through the open holes in the ceiling and illuminated the room. Several layers of dust and cobwebs lay over the walls, shelves, and the pieces of abandoned equipment.

"Is this some sort of laboratory?" Serena said. She approached the dusty shelves and peered into them. "There are a bunch of dead plants here. It looks like this place was trying to grow them."

Clemont approached the observation table in the center of the room and examined a strange piece of equipment. "It's definitely connected to the robot." Bonnie reached out and poked it.

I studied the old computer screens across from the observation table. As I made my way to the other side of the laboratory, I saw a picture hanging on the wall.

"It definitely is," I said. "Come look at this."

My friends and I gathered around the picture. The robot was in the picture, posing with two others: the Chesnaught who attacked us and an old man. The other two were smiling and, despite not being able to express through its face, the robot looked happy.

"Hey!" We jumped from a sudden, shrill cry and turned around. A young boy with brown hair and dark gray eyes hidden behind thick, blue glasses stood at the door. He scowled at us as he stepped into the room. "No one is allowed in here. Explain yourselves!"

"Whoa, take it easy," Ash said, holding his hands up in defense. "We're not here to cause trouble. We were just passing through here when we were attacked by the Chesnaught in this picture."

"Good!" the boy cried. "You didn't have any business interfering with this lab's research."

"Hey, there's no need to be upset with us," Clemont said. "You know about the robot out there, don't you? Who does it belong to?"

"My grandfather. This is his research lab."

"It was tasked with planting seeds outside by your grandfather?"

The boy rolled his shoulders as he looked between us. "If you really want to know about it, then the computer can explain it to you."

The boy walked over to the dusty computer. He pressed a button. The larger screen crackled and hummed to life. Static covered the screen for a moment before a video began to play of the boy's grandfather.

" _My name is Chapman,"_ the grandfather said. The desk and computers were much cleaner during the time this was recorded. _"I am a scientist who researches environments in which Pokémon and people can live together peacefully and happily."_

The video showed captured scenes of the potted plants now sitting withered on the shelves. Before, they were filled with vibrant plants, both common and foreign. It panned over a scene of a thick, lush forest brimming with Pokémon and greenery. Chesnaught was seen playing with a group of smaller Pokémon in a stream.

" _This was once a beautiful forest, blessed with an abundance of nature and Pokémon,"_ Chapman said. _"One day, however, the forest withered and died. I was determined to look into what caused it, but… I was diagnosed with a terminal illness. I dedicated the rest of my energy and willpower into creating Robon, a robot that I will one day bring back this beloved forest… for I know I don't have much longer to live._

" _If you're watching this, then you've seen the desolation of this land. Robon and Chesnaught are my last hope. If they are ever in trouble, I pray that someone will come along and help them. That is my earnest wish."_

The video cut out. We stared at our reflections through the dark screen.

"Grandfather's not here anymore, but Robon and Chesnaught are. As long as they are, they will continue to work to bring back this forest," the boy said. As I looked at him, I realized his blue glasses were the same as his grandfather's. The boy turned and faced us with a glare. "Now that you know, you can leave."

"Leave?" Ash said. "We want to help."

The boy's gaze hardened. "Help? We don't need it."

Robon rolled into the room. It turned around and scooted up against a generator. It plugged itself in and sat patiently as the generator rumbled.

"It can even charge itself?" Clemont said.

"Yes, but lately it takes longer and longer to charge," the boy said. "It must be starting to break down from all the work it does."

Clemont placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I can take a look at it and see what's wrong."

Clemont stepped to the side of the generator and opened the hatch. He peered inside.

"Did I _say_ you could do that?" the boy cried. "You're missing the point! I don't want to fix anything here! I want Chesnaught and Robon to _stop_ working! You've seen this place; it can't be saved! Leave it be; those two will finally get the hint and give up!"

Clemont frowned. He pulled out a screwdriver and tinkered with the machine.

"Hey! Are you listening to me?!"

"I'm listening," Clemont said. He closed the hatch, tucked the screwdriver away, and stood up. "And what I'm hearing is you want your grandfather's wishes to die with him and this forest."

My eyes widened. _Harsh…_

The boy gritted his teeth. "How dare you say that! You don't know anything about me or my grandfather! He has more scientific knowledge in one finger than you do in your entire body!"

Clemont looked at the boy. "Then why are you trying to let it all go to waste? Why not _help_ Robon and Chesnaught? Or would you rather them spend the rest of their lives living in regret? Do you want that on your shoulders?"

The boy straightened. He unclenched his fists and bowed his head. "No… But how can it be done? I've seen Robon spend day after day planting seeds, and day after day nothing changes."

Clemont stepped to the boy and crouched to his level. "It will be hard to do it all on your own. That's why we want to help."

The boy gazed at Clemont thoughtfully. He looked away.

"Fine," he mumbled, "I'll let you help."

Clemont smiled. "What's your name?"

"…Henny."

"It's nice to meet you, Henny. I'm Clemont, and these are my friends."

 **"Charging complete."** Robon said. It removed itself from the generator and puttered out of the laboratory.

"Wow!" Henny cried. "It charged must faster than before!" Henny turned to Clemont. "Thank you."

Clemont nodded. "This is only the first step. There's still a lot more that we need to do. We'll need to start where your grandfather ended and figure out what's caused this forest to dry up. We'll need to sample the soil."

"There are some gardening tools in the back," Henny said. "I'll go get some!"

"I'll help!" Bonnie said. The two kids hurried to the back room.

"You're really taking charge, Clemont," Serena said. "I didn't know you had it in you."

"It's all for the love of science." Clemont adjusted his glasses with a smile.

* * *

Standing in the dry heat once more, shovels, trowels, and buckets in hand, we watched Robon continue its sowing. As we watched, Chesnaught approached us, its thundering footsteps shaking the ground beneath us.

" _You again,"_ Chesnaught growled. _"Didn't you get the hint the first time?!"_

"Wait, Chesnaught," Henny stepped towards Chesnaught, "these people want to help."

Chesnaught looked between us skeptically.

"Please."

Chesnaught sighed and looked away. _"Fine."_ Henny smiled.

Clemont took off his backpack and set it on the ground. He knelt next to it, opened it, and pulled out a small device.

"I hope you don't mind that I borrowed this from the lab," Clemont said.

Henny shook his head. "It's fine."

Clemont shoveled a small scoop of dirt into a test tube. He set the test tube into the device and turned it on. The device whirred and sputtered. The tiny screen on the bottom read "Calculating…" for a few moments before it buzzed and showed a red X.

"Just as I thought." Clemont stood. "This soil isn't in a condition where plants can grow. But considering there used to be a forest here, that means there was water. If we can find it, then we can use it to bring the soil back to fertility."

Clemont pulled out a Poké Ball and opened it. Luxray came out.

"Luxray, I need you to use your X-ray vision to search around for a water vein," Clemont said.

Ash called out Noibat. "We can help, too. Noibat, use Supersonic to help Luxray."

The two Pokémon went to work. Chespin, brimming with determination, punctured its vines into the dirt to help search for water. Chesnaught watched the Pokémon at work. Shyly, it followed Chespin's example and punctured its vines into the dirt. Chespin smiled at Chesnaught; Chesnaught turned its head away with a blush. We took our gardening tools and dug into the soil.

" _Hey! Heyyyy!_ " Chespin cried. " _I found it! I found it!"_

"Really?" Clemont called. We gathered around the spot. Luxray and Noibat searched the spot with their abilities and nodded. "Great job, Chespin!"

Chespin beamed. Ash and Clemont returned their Pokémon. Next, Clemont called out Bunnelby and had it begin its dig into the dirt. We joined in the dig. A few minutes later, we heard Bunnelby's cry from within its tunnel.

Clemont peered into the tunnel. "What's wrong, Bunnelby?"

" _There's something in the way,_ " Bunnelby called.

We continued to dig until we reach the obstacle. A giant boulder was wedged into the rock. Ash tapped it with his shovel.

"It looks pretty big…" Ash said.

"We won't be able to get to the water with this in the way," Clemont said. "If we can make the rock brittle by heating it up and quacking cooling it down, we may be able to break it with one combined attack from all of us."

We all pulled out our Poké Balls and summoned all our Pokémon. We huddled around the edge of the hole. First, Braixen heated up the rock with Flamethrower. Greninja immediately followed with a few Water Shurikens. Finally, we commanded our Pokémon to attack the rock.

The rock had cracked, but it didn't break all the way through. Clemont cupped his chin in his hand.

 **"May I be of some assistance?"** Robon approached the edge of the hole.

"Are you able to do anything?" Henny said.

 **"Indeed."** Robon sputtered. Two beams of light came from its eyes and scanned the rock. **"Obstacle acquired. Approximately ten meters in diameter. Commencing rock removal circuit."**

Robon's torso opened, and a drill emerged from within and whirred excitedly. Robon leaped into the air and dove drill-first into the rock.

"I didn't know Robon could do that!" Clemont said, his eyes gleaming.

"Me, neither," Henny said. "Grandfather must have included it in its design."

The cracks thickened and deepened, and the rock shattered. A geyser of water gushed from the hole, with Robon riding on top. Chesnaught reached out and caught Robon. Water rained around us. It gushed into the empty stream.

"Surely that has made the soil fertile," Clemont said. "Robon should have no problem sowing now… although…"

"What is it?" Henny said.

Clemont placed a hand on Henny's shoulder. "I think there's one more thing left to do."

* * *

We watched Clemont operate on a deactivated Robon like we were observers of an open-heart surgery. Time passed before Clemont finally lifted his head. He stretched his arms and back and wiped the sweat off his forehead with his sleeve, accidentally smearing oil on his face.

"I'm done," Clemont said. "Now, it's time for the final test."

Clemont finished screwing the last bolt in place. Robon's eyes lit up, and it sat up.

"Robon? How do you feel?" Henny said.

 **"I… I feel…"** Robon said. It thrust its arms to the side and flexed them. **"I feel great!"**

Henny grinned. "It worked! Thank you, Clemont!"

Clemont smiled. "Robon's going to be working even harder now that the forest can return. It'll need to be in top shape to meet the demand."

"Really, I don't think I can ever thank you." Henny reached out a hand. "I want to become a scientist, just like you and my grandfather! When Robon starts to wear down again, I'll repair it. I'll continue my grandfather's legacy, and it's all thanks to you!"

Clemont straightened and gazed thoughtfully at Henny. A gentle smile curled on his lips. He reached out and gripped Henny's hand.

"I'm looking forward to hearing what you discover."


	66. A Shocking Confrontation

Being so used to blue, sunny skies, it was a little off-putting when a heavy layer of gray clouds rolled in overnight. Coupled with the thick forest surrounding us, the path was dark when it was only afternoon. My hair stood on ends as the sky continued to darken. My stomach fluttered.

Clemont walked a few steps ahead of us. He paused and looked over his shoulder.

"Come on, guys, you're slacking behind!" Clemont said.

"Funny, it's always _you_ who's being told that," Bonnie mumbled.

"I want us to reach the town before it gets dark."

"You're really excited about the Zapdos Festival, aren't you?" Serena said.

"Of course I am! It's a celebration for Electric-types, and as an inventor _and_ owner of Electric-type Pokémon, I've always wanted to go! That's why I was super excited when Joule Town was on the way to Icirrus City."

"What's so special about it anyways?" Bonnie said.

Clemont adjusted his glasses. "Well," he said. Bonnie's eyes immediately drooped in disinterest. "it's said that long ago, there was a storm caused by Zapdos. A lightning bolt struck a large tree in the town's center and split it in half. The people thought the tree was destroyed. As years went by, however, the tree grew stronger and healthier than ever before, and it yielded a lot of fruit. The town decided to hold the Zapdos Festival every year in hopes that Zapdos would visit again and bless the town with fertility."

"That would be awesome if we saw Zapdos," Ash said. "Then I'll have seen all three of the great bird Pokémon."

"Can we reminisce when we've made it to the town?" I said. I glanced at the sky. "I think a storm is coming, and I don't want to get caught in it."

"Maybe Zapdos is the cause of this storm," Clemont said. His eyes sparkled. "If we wait around long enough, do you think we'll see it?"

"I don't want to find out," I snapped. I noticed my tense shoulders and relaxed. "Sorry."

Clemont looked at me in surprise. "What's wrong, Rylee?"

"It's just…" I tucked my hair behind my ear and looked away. "I'm not a fan of lightning. Or thunder."

Clemont's eyes widened. "You have astraphobia? Really?" I grimaced and slowly nodded. His expression sobered. "I had no idea."

"Storms don't happen very often."

The area flashed for a brief second. I gasped as my body tensed. Immediately following, a crash of thunder shook the sky. I reached up and clutched my chest with trembling fingers. I let out a long, shaky sigh. Clemont watched me in surprise. He stepped closer.

"Hey, look!" Bonnie pointed to the sky. "I think I see something in the clouds."

Slowly, I looked to the sky. Something bright yellow soared in the air, weaving in and out of the clouds.

"Is that…?" Serena said.

"It's Zapdos!" Ash cried.

As if it heard him, Zapdos tossed back its head and screeched. A flurry of lightning bolts ignited the sky in its wake, and thunder rolled in the clouds like a tsunami.

My hands clamped over my ears. A hand gently gripped my shoulder.

"We should get going," Clemont said.

On cue, a lightning bolt struck a tree further down the path. Violently uprooted, it tipped and collapsed onto the path.

"We can't go any further in this storm; it's not safe," Serena said. "Let's find somewhere to take cover until it passes."

* * *

With Serena's Town Map as guidance, we hurried off the path and to a cave resting on the side of a hill.

Serena heaved a sigh of relief. "We should be safe in here until the storm passes."

"Is it me, or did Zapdos seem… angry?" Ash said.

"I think you're right," Clemont said. "Those lightning bolts were very sporadic, and it didn't seem to care where they landed or what they hit." Clemont turned to me. "Are you all right?"

"Not really," I said, holding my arms. "At least we have shelter."

"You, there!" We turned to follow the voice that called directly behind us. A man dressed in a blue uniform with an orange safety vest had his head lifted so he could see us under the rim of his hat.

My eyes immediately shifted to his right leg, which was stretched out in front of him. From his knee to his ankle, his leg was wrapped in a makeshift splint.

"You're hurt!" I said. I ran over to the man and knelt at his side. "What happened to you?"

"I'm a rescue worker. I was on my way out of the mountains to deliver some medicine to the hospital in Joule Town when this storm hit. A lightning bolt struck the cliffside and caused a giant rock to fall. I swerved out of the way before the rock could hit my van, but I ended up careening off the path and flipping my vehicle over. My leg is broken… although it could have been much worse. The cave was nearby, so I crawled my way here to hide from the storm."

"I can help treat your injury," I said. I looked to Zoroark. _"Sorry, I need you to do me a favor."_

I pulled out Zoroark's Poké Ball and returned her. I pretended to clip her Poké Ball onto my belt loop and reach for another.

"Come out, Chimecho," I declared. The Poké Ball opened. As the blue stream of light poured out of the Poké Ball, I saw traces of magenta mixed in; I hoped the man didn't notice it. Zoroark, as a Chimecho, floated beside me. "Use Heal Pulse."

Zoroark closed her eyes and pretended to concentrate. Discreetly, I created a ball of Heal Pulse in front of her. I took it and faced the man. I gently pressed the Heal Pulse into the man's leg. His leg glowed for a few seconds. Once it faded, I sat back on my knees.

"There," I said. "Your leg is still broken, but that should have increased the healing process and reduced the swelling. Once this storm passes, we'll get you some professional help."

"Thank you very much," the man said, "but I still have to deliver the medicine I was tasked with." The rescue worker reached into the pocket of his vest and pulled out a medicine bottle. "There's someone there in critical condition who needs it. Unfortunately, with me in this state…" The worker held out the bottle. "I hate to ask you this, but… will you take this to Joule Town for me and deliver it to the hospital there?"

I took the bottle and held it gingerly in my hands. I looked at the others, who nodded. I turned to the man and smiled. "Yes, we will."

The rescue worker smiled. "Thank you."

Another crash of lightning and thunder crackled in the air. My muscles tensed, and the medicine nearly slipped out of my hands. I clutched it tightly, bowed my head, and took a deep breath.

"It's still too dangerous to go outside," Serena said.

"This cave used to be a shortcut to Joule Town. Unfortunately, a rockfall blocked it a long time ago." The man pointed down the path to the giant boulder blocking the way. "These days, you can only get there via outside routes."

Ash stood and smiled. "That shouldn't be a problem," he said. He reached into his pocket and tossed a Poké Ball in the air. Hawlucha emerged. "Hawlucha, use Karate Chop and smash that rock!"

Hawlucha leaped into the air as its hand glowed with white energy. With a cry, it sliced its hand through the boulder, splitting it cleanly in half and clearing the path.

"Good work, Hawlucha!" Ash tossed another Poké Ball, and Noibat emerged. "Noibat, I want you to use Supersonic and find the shortest route to the exit."

Noibat nodded. I stood.

"We'll send help for you as soon as we reach the city," I said.

The rescue worker smiled. "I really can't thank you enough."

I smiled and faced my friends. I tucked the medicine bottle into my front pocket, and we headed into the cave. As the light from outside grew dimmer, Clemont activated the flashlight on his backpack to help us see. Hawlucha and Noibat led the way. When we reached a fork in the path, Noibat used Supersonic and led us down the correct way.

The sounds of the storm were still audible from within the cave. Each roll of thunder vibrated the cave. Pebbles broke from the ceiling and bounced down the walls to the ground. I gripped my necklace and closed my eyes for a moment.

Another roll of thunder came, but this time, the cave shook. We stopped our strides and stayed closed to the ground to avoid being thrown off our feet. Something cracked loudly above us. I looked up and gasped as the ceiling started to crack.

"Look out!" I called as the ceiling collapsed. Rocks poured from above. Zoroark launched a Shadow Ball at the feet of Clemont, Serena, and Bonnie. The impact launched them back. The rocks fell, sweeping me off my feet. The light of Clemont's flashlight quickly diminished. The rocks piled up to the ceiling, creating an impassable blockage.

"Serena! Clemont!" I called.

"We're here!" Clemont's voice was muffled with the obstacle. "We're all right."

I sighed. I brushed my hand against my pocket and felt the lump of the medicine bottle inside. I studied the rock pile; it reached all the way to the ceiling.

"Trying to break through it wouldn't be a good idea," I said quietly. I turned over my shoulder and saw I wasn't alone. Ash stepped to my side and rested a hand on a rock. Hawlucha and Pikachu comforted a startled Noibat.

"Ash, Rylee," Serena called, "we're going back to the rescue worker and escort him to Joule Town another way. You two continue and get there so you can deliver the medicine."

"Okay," Ash called. "We'll see you soon!"

"Be careful!" Their muffled footsteps faded quickly.

Ash turned to me. "Let's go."

I nodded. We faced the open path. I summoned an Energy Ball. The cave glowed green from the light pulsing from it. We resumed our strides.

With the help of Noibat's Supersonic, the cave's exit soon came into view. The light from outside flooded into the cave; I dispelled my Energy Ball. Our walk quickly turned into a run. We stepped outside. Directly in front of us was a valley filled with stalagmites of varying heights.

A flash of yellow perched on one of the stalagmites caught my eye. Zapdos let out a cry as electricity crackled from its body. A large Thunderbolt soared towards us. I grabbed Ash, as we leaped backwards into the cave once more. Zapdos screeched, and lightning and thunder consumed the sky. I clamped my hands over my ears.

"I don't understand why Zapdos is so angry," Ash said. He rested a hand on my shoulder. "Are you okay?"

I quickly shook my head.

"Ah," a weak voice called, "is that a twerp I hear?"

We lifted our eyes to the voice. Team Rocket trembled behind a rock on the other side of the wall.

"You!" Ash climbed to his feet. "What are _you_ guys doing here?"

"To protect the world from devasta-" Jessie started, but another crash of thunder shook the cave. Team Rocket screamed and clung to one another. I squeezed my eyes shut.

Ash folded his arms. "You had something to do with this, didn't you?" he said. "Did you try and capture Zapdos? Is that why it's so mad?"

"P-P-P-Perhaps…" Meowth stammered.

"Catching a legendary is not as easy as catching a Caterpie, you know," I shouted, my ears still covered.

Team Rocket looked over Ash's shoulder and at me. "What's wrong with the super twerpette?" Jessie said.

"None of your business!"

Ash sighed and peered outside at Zapdos. "The only way we'll get out of here is if we calm Zapdos down." He turned to his Pokémon. "Let's go."

"Are you nuts?!" James said. "You're going to try and confront that legendary?"

"It's definitely not the first time," he said. I slowly lifted my eyes. He looked over his shoulder and glared at Team Rocket. "Besides, this is all _your_ fault, _as usual_."

Ash turned on his heel and jogged to the cave exit. My eyes followed him. Upon stepping outside again, Zapdos attacked with another Thunderbolt. Ash jumped back.

"Stop it, Zapdos! We're not your enemies!" Ash called. "Please, let us through. We need to deliver something important to the next town."

Zapdos ignored Ash's pleas and attacked with a barrage of Thunderbolts. Ash and his Pokémon leaped behind a nearby boulder. A Thunderbolt hit the top and cut it clean off.

Another roll of thunder shook the sky. My fingers tangled in my hair. My heartbeat pattered wildly.

 _I feel so useless…_ I gritted my teeth and squeezed my eyes shut. _If only Articuno were here…_

Zapdos' Thunderbolt barrage continued. I looked outside as electricity bounced off Zapdos' body and hit anything nearby: the side of the mountain, the stalagmites, or disappearing into the clouds. Ash pressed his back against the boulder he hid behind. A drop of sweat trickled down from his temple as his face contorted into deep thought.

My fingers balled into fists. Slowly, I removed them from my ears and pressed them against my legs. I climbed to my feet. With my hand on the wall for balance, I slowly walked to the exit. A flash of lightning ignited the sky. I froze. I forced a deep breath through my lungs and continued.

I planted my feet outside of the cave. Zapdos' eyes shifted to mine.

"Zoroark, use Shadow Ball!"

Zoroark transformed to her true form and created a Shadow Ball between her paws. She thrust her arms forward and launched the Shadow Ball. Zapdos flapped its wings and flew away from its perch. The Shadow Ball soared by and disappeared into the clouds. While Zapdos was distracted, I charged forward and leaped off the cliffside. I landed on a stalagmite and jumped along the tops. Zoroark landed on the same first stalagmite, but she went the opposite way. I summoned an Energy Ball and threw it at Zapdos. Zapdos dodged it. Zoroark summoned a slab of Protect as the Energy Ball flew towards her. She swung and connected with the Energy Ball, launching it back. It slammed into Zapdos' back. Zapdos cried out. Zapdos' body crackled with electricity, beginning a third Thunderbolt barrage. Zoroark and I leaped from stalagmite to stalagmite, the previous one being destroyed with lightning.

I pushed off the top of a stalagmite and headed towards one that was taller. I twisted my body and planted my feet against the side of the stalagmite. With a grunt, I pushed off the stalagmite and soared towards Zapdos. I shoved my shoulder into Zapdos' breast. Zapdos stumbled backwards. I crossed my arms into an X and swiped them to the side. Protect expanded from my fingertips and followed Zapdos. Zapdos slammed into the side of a stalagmite. The Protect immediately followed, wrapped around Zapdos, and pinned it to the stalagmite.

I landed on a smaller stalagmite below. I summoned a platform of Protect and flew to Zapdos. Zapdos thrashed with angry cries. Electricity still crackled from its body. I twisted my torso as a lightning bolt flew past me. Hovering in front of Zapdos, I reached out and placed my hands on Zapdos' beak. I clamped it shut. I closed my eyes as a wave of Heal Pulse spread through the air. Zapdos' face calmed. The electricity stopped.

"Calm down," I whispered. I gently stroked Zapdos' beak. "I understand your anger. You were wrongfully attacked. You're no longer in danger. You're safe. It's okay."

Zapdos' eyes narrowed on me. I opened my eyes and smiled. Once I felt Zapdos relax, I released its beak, stepped back, and dispelled the Protect. Zapdos spread its wings and hovered in front of me.

"There's a festival happening tonight in your honor," I said. "The people there would be thrilled for you to make an appearance."

Zapdos continued to stare at me. It flapped its wings and took off into the air. I returned to Ash on the cliffside. Once my feet touched the ground, my legs wobbled and collapsed. I fell to my knees and panted.

Ash knelt at my side. "How are you feeling?" he said.

A bead of sweat trickled down my forehead. I reached up and wiped it away. I looked up and smiled.

"Like my heart's about to burst," I said.

Ash smiled. "You did great."

The storm clouds broke, and rays of sunlight poured from the heavens. The clouds quickly dispersed, and the bright blue sky was visible once more. Ash helped me stand.

"Come on," he said. "We still need to deliver the medicine."

I nodded.

* * *

The sun had set by the time we reached Joule Town. Lights were strung everywhere, illuminating the town and allowing us to see almost perfectly even though the sky was dark. With directions from the citizens, we arrived at the hospital. We approached the counter.

"Excuse me," I said. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the medicine pocket, still in perfect condition. "We're here to deliver this."

"Oh!" the secretary said. He took the bottle. "Thank you. The rescue worker that was originally tasked with this delivery was checked in earlier today with the help of some other children."

"Looks like Serena and the others got here before us," Ash said.

"We'll take this medicine to our patient. With this, he'll recover sooner."

"That's good to hear," I said.

"Yes. Thank you again."

Ash and I exited the hospital. The sky boomed. We lifted our eyes and watched an array of fireworks dance in the sky. A familiar cry echoed in the air. We looked and saw Zapdos gliding midst the fireworks. It paused and crackled with electricity, blending it in with the fireworks.

"I'm glad we got here in time, both for the medicine and for the festival," Ash said. "Now, let's find the others. Who knows how long they've been waiting for us."

"We have a good excuse," I said. "I mean, we had to contend with a legendary Pokémon."

Ash rolled his eyes and smiled. "It's not the first time we've done it."

I chuckled. "It certainly won't be the last."


	67. Unlocking the Truth

Bonnie paused as her bag wriggled. Squishy poked its head out of the pocket he rested in and looked around. Bonnie held out her hand. Squishy jumped out of the bag and onto Bonnie's hand. She brought it up to her face.

"You've been in a good mood today, Squishy," Bonnie said. "Did something good happen?"

Squishy looked at Bonnie. _"Yes,"_ it said.

Bonnie turned to me. I crouched at her side. "It said yes," I said.

Squishy stared at me. It blinked slowly, then turned away. _"He is safe now."_

I watched Squishy curiously as it jumped back into Bonnie's bag. I stood again.

"Bonnie!" Serena called. "Come look at this display!"

"Coming!" Bonnie scurried over to Serena. She stood on her tiptoes to peer through the glass display case. "Whoooa!"

I joined Clemont's side and looked at the display case in the center of the room. A large diamond sat on a plush cushion. It was surrounded in red ropes.

"Imagine how much all of this cost," Clemont mumbled. "I bet this diamond costs more than everything in this room combined."

"I'm betting on the chandelier." I looked up at the large gold chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Crystals dangled from the chandelier, and they shimmered and sparkled in the light. The sharp lights sometimes reflected into my eyes, and I cringed.

We spent some time in the gem exhibit, admiring all the jewels on display. Each had its own unique shape and color. Once we were finished, we went to the front desk and checked into a room.

As we were getting ready for bed later that night, a loud alarm pierced the room and startled us. We hurried into the hall as a group of security guards sprinted down the hall. We followed them back to the gem exhibit; there was already a curious crowd gathered at the entrance.

One security guard bent over and peered into the display case. "Nothing seems to be out of place. The diamond's still there… in fact, it doesn't even look like someone tried to steal it." He stood and folded his arms. He looked at the large lock keeping the display case closed, which had been unlocked. "What kind of thief breaks in just to pick a lock?"

A loud laugh echoed from above. We lifted our eyes and saw a suited silhouette with a long cape standing over the open window.

"Yes! It was I!" the man declared. He held something between his index and middle fingers. "Carve it into your souls! It was the Master Thief Keyes who unlocked that lock!"

Keyes threw the card into the room. It bounced off the carpet and landed face-up. Keyes turned with a swish of his cape, jumped off, and disappeared.

"Master Thief?" I folded my arms. "If he's so skilled at it, then why did he a) not steal anything, and b) let himself be discovered?"

"You're not worried?" Serena said.

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, please. I've seen _real_ thieves before; he's not it."

Once Master Thief Keyes was gone, the security guards called Officer Jenny. Once she stepped into the room, her eyes found the lock.

"Him again?" Jenny said. She walked over and pulled the lock off the display case. "This is the third time this month this Keyes guy has showed up." She turned to the guards. "Sorry, but I need to make a call."

A few minutes later, an old man dressed in a dark green long-sleeved shirt and a brown apron walked down the hall and into the room.

"What can I help you with, Officer Jenny?" he said.

"I think you know, Ed," Jenny said. She held out the lock. "That's your lock, isn't it?"

Ed looked at the lock. "Yes, it is."

"Your lock?" Ash said.

"Yes. I'm the town's locksmith. I've been tasked with making impenetrable locks for safekeeping important places and items, like this diamond." Ed sighed and turned to Jenny. "I'm sorry to disturb you with all of this."

"Whenever Keyes shows up someplace, it's somewhere where one of your locks are. He doesn't steal anything; all he does is pick it and leave." Officer Jenny folded her arms. "You wouldn't happen to have any idea who's behind it, do you?"

Ed walked over to the display case and crouched before it. He sighed.

"I have a hunch…" Ed stood and faced us. "I believe this is the work of my former apprentice, Locke. He always had difficulty with picking my locks. One day, he left out of frustration, feeling like all I did was disrespect him."

"So, he's doing all of this to spite you," Jenny said. She sighed. "I've encountered some crazy criminals, but this one is high up there."

Ed bowed to Officer Jenny. "I deeply apologize for the trouble my former apprentice has caused." Ed stood straight. "I promise I'll find him and knock some sense into him."

"He'll still have to answer to the law."

Ed nodded. "I understand." Officer Jenny turned on her heel. Her and the security guards left the room. Ed sighed.

"Hey," Ash said as we approached Ed, "we can help you look for Locke."

Ed turned to us. "Really? I don't even know your names, and you want to help me?"

"We do it all the time, to be honest," Clemont said, adjusting his glasses.

Ed looked between us. "Fine. You can help."

"Can you tell us more about your apprentice?" I said.

"He's hotheaded. Conceited. Stubborn. He's terrible at taking any form of advice or criticism."

"…Anything nice you can say about him?"

Ed folded his arms. "At least he was determined," he mumbled. "We both have one half of a Binacle as our partner- mine is named Righty, and Locke's is name Lefty. When Locke left, he took Lefty with him. Righty's been dead-set on finding those two, and when I told it not to go looking for them by itself, it ignored me. Now it's wandering somewhere in this town."

"All right. It's a start," I said. "And it shouldn't be hard to find him, assuming he's still walking around in that extravagant suit of his."

* * *

Morning came, and we all stirred. Serena walked over to the windows and pulled them open.

"The weather's great today," Serena said. She turned around and placed her hands on her hips as we got out of bed. "It's a great day to find-"

Her sentence quickly turned into a scream.

"What?! What's wrong?!" Ash said.

"Bonnie! What's that on your head?!"

Bonnie sat up and rubbed her tired eyes. "What are you talking about?" she mumbled.

Sitting on her head was a Binacle. It looked around skeptically at us. The sensation of it on her head sank in. She slowly raised her eyes as the Binacle leaned over into her vision. Bonnie's eyes widened, and she screamed. She leaped out of bed.

"Get it off me! Get it off! Get it off!" she cried as she thrashed around.

"Hold still, Bonnie!" Clemont said. Bonnie stopped briefly to allow Ash and Clemont to grab onto the Binacle and yank. Bonnie screamed even more as the Binacle refused to budge.

"It's not _working_!" Bonnie cried. Clemont and Ash lost their grips, and the three flopped onto the bed.

Binacle began barking at us. I stretched my arms over my head and let them flop back to my sides.

"Slow down," I said. "I can't understand you when you're speaking like that."

Binacle blinked in surprise. " _You were with Ed last night, right?_ "

"Ah," Clemont said, "you must be his partner, Righty."

Binacle harrumphed and turned its head. " _I_ used _to be his partner. Not anymore. I grew tired of him._ "

" _Because you threw a tantrum after he told you 'no'?_ " Zoroark said.

Binacle glared at Zoroark. " _Hey!_ "

"Ed told us you wanted to look for Locke and Lefty, but you can't do it all on your own. There's only so much a creature as small as you can accomplish on your own," I said. Binacle scowled and twisted its body away from me. I sighed. "We're going to look for Locke."

" _I heard you last night,_ " Righty said. " _That's why I'm here. I'm coming with you._ "

"Do you… have to be on my head…?" Bonnie whimpered.

" _I have a better view from here._ "

Bonnie sighed.

* * *

We stepped out of the hotel and looked around the surrounding area.

"Where are we even supposed to start?" Serena said.

"I have an idea," Clemont said. He pulled off his backpack, opened it, and reached inside. He pulled out a small, blue device and placed it on Bonnie's head, surrounding Righty. "I made this last night. This device will analyze Righty's bio-metric data and use it to locate any other Binacle with an exact match."

"Wow, that… actually sounds useful," Bonnie said.

An angry vein pulsated on Clemont's forehead. He pushed a button on the side of the device. It started to hum, causing Bonnie to shudder. Clemont pulled out a remote shaped like a gaming controller. He peered over his shoulder at the small, round screen. It lit up with a map of the area. After the device finished scanning Righty, a red dot blinked on the screen.

"Looks like it found something!" Ash said.

Clemont nodded. "And it's not too far from here." He pointed straight. "That way!"

We walked down the street and turned the corner. We wove through the city, turning several times, thankful that the dot remained stationary. As we turned the corner, Bonnie stopped.

"Uh…" She pointed into the sky. "Isn't that the Pokémon Center?"

We followed her extended arm and saw a thick column of smoke rising into the air. My eyes widened.

"Come on!" I said. I broke away from the others and ran ahead. They trailed behind me. We followed the smoke, looping around the Pokémon Center to the back. Nurse Joy stood before a shed engulfed in flames. "Nurse Joy!"

Nurse Joy turned. A young man with blond hair and blue eyes turned as well. He wore a familiar white suit and long, red cape.

"Righty?" the man gasped. Righty cried out. It thrashed around on Bonnie's head almost causing her to lose her balance.

"What happened here?" I said to Nurse Joy. I turned to the man. "You're Locke, right? 'Master Thief Keyes'? Did you have something to do with this?"

"N-No!" Locke said. "I mean… sort of… These three guys kidnapped me and tried to force me to unlock this storage so they could steal the Pokémon inside. When I tried to escape, they caused the generator on the side of the shed to explode, and the shed caught on fire."

"We have to do something!" Nurse Joy cried, on the verge of a full-on panic attack. "There are many Pokémon inside! If we don't do something, they'll all die!"

My eyes widened, and I placed a hand on her shoulder. I could feel her trembling. "I want you to go inside and call the fire department. We'll do what we can to contain the fire in the meantime." I gave her an assuring smile. Nurse Joy nodded and scurried into the Pokémon Center. We faced the fire. "We have to work on taming this fire before it spreads too much."

"I'll go in and bring out the Pokémon," Locke said.

"Are you crazy? You can't go in there yourself."

"I have to try! It's my fault they're in danger; I have to do something!" Locke ran forward towards the storage shed. The fire roared, and pieces of the roof collapsed.

Ash pulled out a Poké Ball and opened it. Greninja emerged. "Greninja, use Water Shuriken!" Greninja slapped the sides of its thighs and tossed a series of Water Shurikens into the fire. They collided into the fire with a sharp sizzle and a puff of steam. Righty thrashed around again and spewed a small Water Gun stream into the fire. The fire blocking the entrance was put out, and Locke sprinted through, crouched and the door, and worked on picking it.

"Clemont! Go get some buckets of water!" Ash called. Clemont nodded and ran into the Pokémon Center.

I watched Locke work on the lock. I knit my eyebrows. I grabbed Zoroark, who cried out with a surprised yelp, and placed her on the ground. I unclipped my Poké Balls and dropped them at her feet.

"Watch the others," I said. I ran to the storage shed. Locke got the door open. He turned and looked at me, surprised to see me coming.

"You're going to help me?" Locke said.

"We can work much faster with two people," I said. "Now, come on."

Locke and I entered the storage shed. Thick, nearly pitch-black smoke circulated in the air. I coughed deeply and covered my mouth with my arm. Tears filled my stinging eyes, and I squinted as I looked around. I heard fabric ripping.

"Here!" I turned to Locke, who handed me a strip of his cape that he had torn off.

"Thanks," I said. I took the fabric and tied it over my mouth. "You start with the left side, I'll start with the right."

* * *

~TPPOV~

Ash and the others stood in a line, with Clemont running back and forth to retrieve more buckets of water. He passed the bucket to Serena, who passed it to Ash, who faced the fire and tossed the water onto it. It seemed, however, that by the time Clemont returned with another bucket, the fire had spread to the same area once more. Greninja and Binacle continued using their Water-type moves, but soon they were exhausted.

"Don't push yourself, Greninja," Ash said as he tossed another bucket of water onto the fire. "You did great. Thank you."

Clemont panted as he returned with another bucket of water. As he did, he looked around.

"Guys…" he said. "Where's Rylee?"

The others looked at each other. Clemont looked between his friends as the pieces started to click in his head. His eyes widened.

The bucket of water in his hands slipped from his grip. It slammed against the ground, upheaving the water inside. Serena and Ash yelped as they were soaked.

" _Rylee_!" Clemont screamed. He took off into a run towards the shed. Ash jumped in front of Clemont and grabbed his torso.

"Clemont, no! It's too dangerous for you!" Ash cried.

"It's too dangerous for _her_ , too!" Clemont cried. "Rylee! _Rylee_!"

* * *

~RYLEE~

"That's the last on my side," I said. With each Poké Ball I dropped into my cart, my breathing began to grow heavier and labored.

"I'm done, too," Locke said. "Now, let's get out of here."

We pushed our carts over to the door. Locke grabbed the handles of the door and yanked. "Huh?" Locke said. He jerked at the door again, then shook it harshly. The hinges rattled violently, but they stayed in place. "The door… it won't budge!"

My eyes widened. "What?!" I pushed Locke aside and grabbed one of the door handles. Planting my foot against the other door, I pulled as hard as I could. The door didn't move. "Something… must have fallen… over the door!" I stopped pulling and stood straight. "Ash! Clemont! Can anyone hear me?!"

"Rylee! _Rylee_!" I heard Clemont screaming my name. I gritted my teeth.

" _Zoroark!"_ I called. _"The door's stuck, and we can't get out!"_

* * *

~TPPOV~

" _What?!_ " Zoroark cried, accidentally aloud rather than privately.

"What? What happened?!" Ash said.

" _Rylee and Locke are stuck in there._ "

" _What_?!" Clemont cried.

Bonnie's eyes trembled. "What are we going to do…?" she mumbled. Serena reached out to place her hands on the young girl's shoulders, but Bonnie was suddenly taken aback. Righty yanked her back, causing her to stumble. "H-Hey! What are you doing?"

Righty screamed and thrashed around from its spot on Bonnie's head. Serena straightened.

"Ed!" she cried. "He's the town's locksmith. If we bring him here, he might be able to get the door open!"

"Then let's go!" Serena and Bonnie ran as fast as they could around the side of the building and down the street.

Meanwhile, Clemont continued to free himself from Ash's restraint. "Let… me go!" he cried. "Rylee needs us! We have to help her-!"

"What can _you_ do about it?!" Ash finally snapped. Clemont's eyes widened. Seeing he had stopped thrashing, Ash tossed Clemont back. He stood between him and the burning building and glared at him. "What can either of us do about it?! We don't have abilities like Rylee does. We're nowhere near as capable or strong as she is. All we can do is wait for something who _can_ do something to come and help us. In the meantime, do you think screaming like a madman is going to help her? Help _you_?"

Clemont gritted his teeth as he stared at Ash. Sirens approached in the background, gradually growing louder until they arrived at the building. A pair of firefighters and Nurse Joy hurried around to the back of the building. They lugged long, large hoses connected to the firetruck, aimed them at the building, and started to drench the building with hundreds of gallons of water. Clemont tore his gaze from Ash and looked at the burning building. He clenched his fists.

* * *

~RYLEE~

Locke tugged on the doors again. As he gripped the door handles, one of his gloves caught on fire. He cried out, ripped the glove off, threw it on the ground, and stamped it out. He panted heavily, which evolved into violent coughing.

"It's no use," I wheezed.

Locke looked at me, his eyes trembling. "Are we… going to die in here?"

I looked into his eyes. "No," I said. I turned to the door. Sweat leaked from my pores and drenched my skin. I tried to keep my eyebrows from knitting to avoid concerning Locke. _I can't try and blow the doors open; the building might collapse… What are we going to do…?_

A cough shook my lungs. When I tried to breathe, another cough forced it out. I collapsed to my knees. Locke placed his hands on my shoulders as I hacked. I managed to find my breath again. I placed a hand over my chest and slowly breathed, fearful of another cough attack. The air was singed and extremely pungent. I focused on breathing through my mouth, since breathing through my nose would fill my air with more smoke.

* * *

~TPPOV~

"We're back! We have Ed!" Serena cried as she and Ed approached Ash and Clemont.

"Locke is in there?" Ed said.

Ash nodded. "Him and our friend."

Ed scanned the fire with a stoic expression. He turned to Righty. They stared at each other for several moments. Finally, Ed nodded. "All right." He stepped forward and ran towards the door. With a jerk, Righty popped off Bonnie's head and leaped onto Ed's shoulder.

A firefighter saw Ed running towards the building. He reached out an arm to block Ed's path. "Hey! You can't go past here!"

"Get out of my way!" Ed knocked the firefighter's arm out of the way and continued towards the building.

Clemont's expression grew serious. He ran past the others and towards the building.

"Clemont!" Bonnie cried. Serena grabbed Bonnie and held her close.

* * *

~RYLEE~

"Locke!" a voice called on the other side of the door.

Locke lifted his eyes to the door. "…Master?"

"Rylee!"

I slowly lifted my eyes to the door. I couldn't tell if it was the smoke or my hazy vision that made it difficult to see.

"…Clemont?"

"I'm here, Rylee."

"Locke! Don't tell me you, a locksmith, have given up on trying to open something!" Ed cried. "I taught you everything there is to know! We can open anything!"

"Master…" Ed said.

"Are you able to use your hands?"

Locke stepped away from me and knelt at the door. He pulled out a lockpick with one hand and held out the other for Lefty to stand on. "Yes."

"The fire burned the lock from the outside. We'll work together to unlock it. Can you see the rotary discs?"

Locke peered with one eye into the lock. "I can."

"There are five rotary discs. Dial the second hindmost to the right by two and the frontmost one to the left by one. Finally, dial the middle one to the right by one. I'll keep the deformed parts supported."

Locke reached forward, but he stopped just before the lock. He grimaced.

"Hurry, Locke!"

"Master… you still trust me? After all that happened?"

"Of course I do, you idiot! You're my apprentice!" Ed said. "Now, do what I've told you to do! We don't have much time!"

Locke gulped. "Yes, sir."

"Rylee," Clemont called, "can you hear me?"

I reached out and placed my hand on the door. It was extremely warm. I breathed in to speak, but I responded with a painful cough.

"It's going to be okay, Rylee," Clemont said. "You'll be okay."

* * *

~TPPOV~

Locke gritted his teeth as he worked on the last rotary disc. They heard the heavenly unlocking sound.

"I did it!" Locke cried. He looked to Rylee, who leaned her forehead against the hot door. He grabbed her arm and draped it around her shoulders. Draping his arm around her waist, they stood.

Ed yanked open the doors. "Locke!"

"The Pokémon," Locke turned to the carts filled with Poké Balls. Ed nodded and grabbed the cart.

"Rylee," Clemont said. He moved to step closer.

"Don't just stand there, kid! Grab the other cart!" Ed cried as he plowed through the doors with one of the carts. Clemont hurried into the building, grabbed the second cart, and pushed it out of the building. Locke dragged Rylee out of the building. Thick pieces of wood fell from the ceiling inside and crashed to the ground.

"Rylee!" Ash said. Locke turned around. Ash, Serena, and Bonnie crowded around her and Locke.

Rylee slowly reached up and pulled the piece of fabric off her mouth. "I'm… fine…" Rylee rasped. She coughed.

"Can you stand on your own?" Locke said. Rylee nodded. Locke slowly released her and stepped away. Rylee hacked again. Her legs collapsed. Everyone moved to catch her.

Clemont leaped forward and wrapped his arms around Rylee's waist. Rylee hung heavily over Clemont's shoulder. The combined weight brought them both to their knees. Rylee slowly raised her head. The others watched quietly.

Ash reached his hands out, placing one on Serena's shoulder and one on Bonnie's head. The two young girls looked at Ash. He looked between them. Slowly, they got the message, and the three headed into the Pokémon Center.

"Clemont," Rylee mumbled. She reached up and placed her hands on Clemont's shoulders, "I'm fine, really-"

When she moved to pull him away, his arms tightened. She almost had difficulty breathing. Clemont squeezed his eyes shut. He trembled.

"…You idiot. You could have died…" Clemont whispered. His mouth was buried in her shoulder, so it came out muffled. Rylee felt his breath warm her shoulder. Tears leaked from the corners of his eyes spilled down his cheeks. They absorbed into Rylee's shirt. "…Then what would I have done…?"

Rylee's eyes widened and trembled. Tears filled her eyes. She lifted her hands off his shoulder and wrapped her arms around him.

"…I'm sorry."

* * *

N's eyes slowly opened. He wiggled his fingers; the rest of his body was sore.

"Oh, you're awake!" A nurse stood next to the heart monitor screen, a clipboard tucked in her arm and a pencil clip tucked in her ear. She pulled it out, studied the monitor, and jotted information down on the page.

"Where… am I?"

"This is the hospital in Joule Town. You were found in the forest and brought here for treatment," the nurse said. She smiled. "You would have recovered a little sooner, but we were waiting on medicine. The rescue worker tasked to deliver it was injured in a car accident, so he asked a group of travelers to bring it here." The nurse approached N's bedside. "How are you feeling?"

N lifted his arms and watched his fingers clench and unclench. "I feel… a lot better than I did before."

"You had a lot of poison in your system."

His toes tingled at the memory. "Yes. I… accidentally ate some poisonous plants during my travels."

The nurse eyed N. "You should be more careful next time. You're lucky those two out in the hall saw you while you were passing by and rescued you."

"Two…?"

"I'll go and tell them you're awake. They've been waiting out there since you were checked in."

The nurse stepped out of the room. N slowly planted his hands on the hospital bed. He started to push himself upright- well, _try_ and push himself upright. He heard the door open.

"Careful." A tan hand reached out and touched N's arm. Another rested on his chest. N looked up.

His eyes widened at the pair of warm brown and gold eyes staring back at him. Iris helped N sit up. She stepped back and smiled, allowing N to take in the robes adorning her body. The headpiece wrapped around her forehead tinkled like laughter when she moved.

N's eyes shifted as another person stepped through the door. Cilan closed the door behind him. Their eyes met. Iris looked between the two men, sighed, and placed her hands on her hips.

"Don't you have anything to say to us?" Iris said. "It's been two years!"

"Uh…" N said. "I'm… surprised to see you here… in Kalos… How… are you here?"

Cilan reached into his pant pocket and pulled out a Poké Ball. N's eyes widened, which followed immediately with an exasperated sigh and a palm to the face.

"That girl…" he mumbled. "Impulsive as always."

"That impulse saved your behind," Iris said. Her arms fell to her sides, and her expression grew solemn. "That was Team Flare, wasn't it? The ones who attacked you? The ones who did all of this to you?"

"How…?" N looked into Iris's eyes and fully registered the gold encryptions in her eyes. "What happened to you?"

Iris smiled. "Rylee's not the only one with cool powers now."

"We came to help," Cilan finally said. He stepped from the door and to N's bedside. "We know about Team Flare, and if we want to be useful, then we need to know what we're truly up against."

N reached up to touch his locket, only to remember there the skin was bare there. He lowered his arm and looked at his hands.

"I traveled with someone who's working for the head of Team Flare. A kid named Alain. He's been going around and challenging anyone who is capable of Mega Evolution. He says it's so he can become the strongest trainer, but… I have a feel there's an underlying goal," N said. "Whatever that goal is, it involves a creature called a Zygarde Core. I rescued one from their facilities, and they attacked me and imprisoned me in their headquarters." N looked up at Iris and Cilan. "I sent the Zygarde Core to find Rylee. I bet she's also encountered Team Flare by now, especially if the creature managed to find her."

"Well, then," Cilan said while Iris gazed thoughtfully at the floor. "We know what our mission is now."

N raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? It's going to be dangerous."

"You're underestimating us, N."

Iris's hands returned to her hips. "We've looked into the face of legendaries and laughed!"

N smiled. "You'll have to remind me. I want to make sure you haven't gotten rusty."

Cilan and Iris smiled.


End file.
